Michael Ring
Ceist:576 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if there is an over supply or an under supply of private nursing homes. [15766/03]
Vol. 568 No. 1
576 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if there is an over supply or an under supply of private nursing homes. [15766/03]
577 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the enhanced subvention levels which have been paid in each of the health board and authority areas in the past two years; the number of people who have applied for enhanced levels of subvention in this period; the number who have been approved; the cost of same; the number who have been refused; and the number of applications currently pending a decision. [15767/03]
578 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount the health boards are paying in subventions in each health board and authority area for the past two years. [15768/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 to 578, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, public beds are available in each health board area in community hospitals and community nursing units. With increases in demographics, and with a higher percentage of our population now over 65 years of age, there is a greater demand on these public beds. This increase in demand was highlighted in the national health strategy with the commitment to supply an additional 850 public beds under a pilot public private partnership project, initially in the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the Southern Health Board.
These beds will be provided in 17 new sites, nine in the Eastern Regional Health Authority and eight Southern Health Board areas. These additional beds will not be available by the end of 2003, as the process of providing services under a PPP arrangement requires the health board or authority to abide by EU procurement legislation for projects of this size. The health boards or authority in question have advertised in the Official Journal of the European Community for business advisers to assist them in progressing these pilot projects following which, it is hoped the detailed contracts will be drawn up and subsequent construction of the units will commence.
Health BoardArea |
2001 |
2002 |
ERHA |
€50,746,577.56 |
€60,164,455.00 |
MHB |
€3,703,813.87 |
€4,809,782.27 |
MWHB |
€7,526,460.00 |
€9,108,759.77 |
NEHB |
€5,496,566.96 |
€7,691,861.49 |
NWHB |
€3,888,012.00 |
€4,616,603.00 |
SHB |
€11,664,951.00 |
€15,907,479.00 |
SEHB |
€5,557,743.00 |
€7,687,341.00 |
WHB |
€11,711,506.62 |
€13,855,720.00 |