Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 12 Dec 2001

Vol. 546 No. 4

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

99 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the total cost of arrears of nursing home subventions payable in the Southern Health Board area; the directives which have been issued to date to the Southern Health Board regarding the payment of arrears on nursing home subventions; the date of these; and if specific funds have been made available to discharge the amounts due. [32149/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin): 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 parent's 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.

A group representing the Department and the health boards and Eastern Regional Health Authority was established to ensure that this process is carried out on a uniform basis as speedily as possible. Instructions as to how the payments should be made issued from my Department on 17 October last and funding specifically for this purpose was made available to commence the making of these payments from 1 November 2001. The letter which issued from my Department instructed health boards to examine every application for subvention received since 1993 and to make payments to applicants of an amount equal to the sum by which the subvention was abated, as a result of the provisions in the regulations which allowed for the assessment of the capacity of adult sons and-or daughters to contribute to the cost of their parent's care. The letter further advised,inter alia, on the procedures to be followed in making these payments to the individual, whether by cheque or directly to a bank account.

I am advised by the Southern Health Board that costings are still being carried out in the board's area and consequently, the precise total cost of payments has not yet been calculated. Nonetheless, the board has advised that the cost of cases already calculated is £515,433.