Vol. 454 No. 1
82 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if he will give a breakdown of the funding allocated to each health board under section 54 and section 26 of the Health Act for the provision of long term care for the elderly for each of the years 1994 and 1995. [10163/95]
83 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health whether Article 8.2 of the Nursing Home Subvention Regulations, which allows for the disregard of 20 per cent of a non-contributory pension, is being implemented by all health boards in assessing people for subvention; and if not, the action, if any, he intends to take to ensure that it is implemented. [10165/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, section 54 of the Health Act, 1970, was repealed by the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990. Payments made to persons under the section at the time the Nursing Homes Act was commenced are protected. These payments are gradually declining as patients are discharged or transfer to subventions under the Nursing Homes Act. In the Eastern Health Board, all section 54 payments ceased six weeks after the Act was commenced in September 1993.
Section 26 payments arise where a health board enters into an arrangement with an organisation to provide services under the Health Acts for eligible persons. Not every health board uses this section.
Health boards are funded by a block allocation for their ongoing commitments. It is a matter for each health board to decide on the allocation of funding for payments under sections 54 and 26. The information on the actual expenditure of funding in 1994 and the estimated expenditure in 1995 by health boards is as follows:
|
Health Board |
1994 |
1995 |
||
|
S.54 |
S.26 |
S.54 |
S.26 |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
— |
3,704,600 |
— |
3,684,600 |
|
Midland Health Board |
187,000 |
216,000 |
97,000 |
220,000 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
1,423,000 |
— |
900,000 |
— |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
191,500 |
— |
* |
— |
|
North-Western Health Board |
— |
490,000 |
— |
490,000 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
458,000 |
— |
251,000 |
— |
|
Southern Health Board |
331,084 |
4,692,504 |
100,000 |
4,900,110 |
|
Western Health Board |
403,491 |
— |
* |
— |
