Vol. 530 No. 6
273 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will allocate extra funding to health boards in order that they can afford to pay top-up nursing home subvention in accordance with page 19 of the Ombudsman's report on nursing home subvention, without having to divert money from other services for the elderly. [4857/01]
The Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, are administered by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. There are currently three maximum rates of subvention payable (£70, £95, £120) in accordance with three levels of dependency, medium, high, maximum, which are eligible for subvention. However, it is the intention to increase the rates by 25% to £90, £120 and £150 from 1 April next.
A health board may pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency, for example, in cases where personal funds are exhausted. Sections 22.3 and 22.4 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, permit health boards to contract beds in private nursing homes and to pay more than the maximum rates of subvention in such cases. The application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subventions within available resources.
