Bernard Allen
Ceist:205 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the family of a person (details supplied) in County Cork is only receiving ?190.46 subvention towards the nursing home cost of ?571.38 per week. [3154/02]
Written Answers. - Care of the Elderly.
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 –€114.28, €152.39 and €190.46 – in accordance with the three levels of dependency – medium, high and maximum – which are eligible for subvention.
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. However, the application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subventions within the board's revenue allocation as notified annually in the letters of determination. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health Amendment)(No 3) Act, 1996.
In the case raised by the Deputy, as the provision of health services in the Cork area is a matter for the Southern Health Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the case and respond to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.