Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004
126 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has plans with the Department for Social and Family Affairs to co-ordinate the methods of calculation of capital means in relation to means tested benefits available from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33272/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraA working group comprising of all stakeholders has been established by my Department to review the nursing home subvention scheme. The objective of the review is to develop a scheme which will be transparent, offer a high standard of care for clients, provide equity within the system to include standardised dependency and means testing. It should also be less discretionary, provide both a home and nursing home subvention depending on need, be consistent in implementation throughout the country and financially sustainable, and draw on experience of the operation of the existing scheme. At this stage it is not proposed to make any changes to the scheme, including the method of assessing capital means, pending the outcome of the review.
