Limerick East): Since the introduction of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, on 1 September 1993 to 31 October 1996, 9,731 subventions have been approved. This year, just under £17 million has been made available to the health boards to fund subventions under the Act. There are currently 18,678* beds available in public long stay hospitals.
The Health Strategy recognises that the rapid rise in the number of elderly people will pose a special challenge to the health services in the coming years. Last year, I made £3 million in capital funding available to the health boards to commence work in new community nursing units for the elderly and to carry out remedial work on some existing units. A further £2 million has been allcoated in 1996 to continue these developments.
*Source: Department of Health Survey of Long-Stay Units 1994.