Dan Neville
Ceist:300 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children when directions will be given by his Department to enable the Mid-Western Health Board refund nursing home subvention on foot of the Ombudsman's report. [16573/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.
The report of the Ombudsman into the nursing home subvention scheme identified a number of issues relating to the operation of the nursing home subvention scheme. It is the intention of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, to bring proposals to Government on whatever additional measures may be necessary arising from the Ombudsman's report, the expenditure review of the subvention scheme, together with experience gained from the operation of the scheme since its inception in 1993.
Our immediate priority is to ensure the two aspects of the regulations that have the most direct impact on nursing home patients and their families are fully addressed without delay. Arrangements have already been made to enable nursing home patients and their families, who may be due payments arising from the provisions in the regulations relating to the retention of one fifth of the rate of non-contributory old age pension for personal use, to be refunded speedily.
The provision, which allowed for the assessment of the capacity of the adult sons and/or daughters of older people who applied for nursing home subventions to contribute towards the cost of their parents nursing home care, was deleted from 1 January 1999. As the Deputy is aware, it has been decided that moneys should be paid to those who were adversely affected by this provision. It is anticipated that these payments will cost in the region of £6 million.
A group representing the Department, the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority has been established to ensure this process is carried out on a uniform basis as speedily as possible. As soon as this group has issued its recommendations as to how this issue should be progressed, all boards will be advised accordingly. However, as the Deputy can appreciate, the issue of making payments will be a complex exercise involving,inter alia, difficult issues of traceability, and it may take some time to complete. Nevertheless, I offer assurance that every effort will be made to make payments as quickly as possible.
In relation to the case raised by the Deputy, as the provision of health services in the Limerick area is a matter for the Mid-Western Health Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate and respond to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.