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Nursing Homes Support Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 June 2012

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Ceisteanna (162, 163, 164)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

162 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the tendering process including timelines to appoint an external body to conduct the review of the nursing homes support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29904/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

163 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the exact timelines involved with the review of the nursing home support scheme from submission to report date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29905/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

164 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he intends to meet with Nursing Homes Ireland to consult with them regarding the review of the nursing home support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29909/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 163 to 164, inclusive, together.

A public consultation process to inform the review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme commenced on the 14th June. A call for submissions was made in national newspapers and a notice was placed on the Department of Health website. The closing date for receipt of submissions is the 16th July. Nursing Homes Ireland, and any other interested parties, have an opportunity to feed into the review through that consultation process.

When the public consultation process has concluded, the Department of Health will be seeking tenders through the public procurement process for the carrying out of the review. This process takes approximately 4 months. It is anticipated that the review itself will take approximately three months to complete. It is expected that the review will commence in the last quarter of this year and be completed in early 2013.

It is not possible to be more specific about the exact timelines involved at this point. The timeframe for the Request for Tenders being published will be dependent on how many submissions are received and how long it takes to analyse them. Thereafter, the awarding of a contract for the review will depend on how many tenders are received. The more tenders that are received, the longer it will take to evaluate them.

The Terms of Reference for the review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme are:

Taking account of Government policy, demographic trends and the fiscal situation—

1. To examine the on-going sustainability of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme,

2. To examine the overall cost of long-term residential care in public and private nursing homes and the effectiveness of the current methods of negotiating/setting prices,

3. Having regard to 1. and 2. above, to consider the balance of funding between long-term residential care and community based services,

4. To consider the extension of the scheme to community based services and to other sectors (Disability and Mental Health), and

5. To make recommendations for the future operation and management of the scheme.

As the Scheme is statutory based, the implementation of any recommendations arising from the review may require significant amendments to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, 2009.

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