Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding allocated under the fair deal scheme per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34669/10]

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 87 together.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme commenced on the 27th October 2009. The HSE received over 15,500 applications for the scheme between its commencement and the 10th September. Of these, almost 11,300 have been approved and applications continue to be processed on a daily basis. Approximately 150 applications have been refused on the basis that the applicant was deemed not to require long-term residential care or that the applicant's contribution to care exceeded the cost of care.

The average length of time to process an application varies depending on whether the application is for State support only, or for State support and the Nursing Home Loan. It also depends on the complexity of the case. The HSE has indicated that a significant volume of applications are submitted without the necessary supporting documentation. This can create delays which are outside of the HSE's control. However, once fully complete and in order, applications are processed within 1-2 weeks. Following approval for an application, the HSE immediately arranges for payment of financial support on the applicant's behalf to their chosen nursing home.

Deputy Upton has asked about the level of funding allocated per county. Under the scheme, funding is not allocated per County. The scheme supports individuals in need of long-term nursing home care, not the facilities providing the care. This means that funding follows the patients and ensures that facilities are not being funded for empty beds. A dedicated subhead has been established for the purposes of the scheme (subhead B12 in Vote 40 refers). This is managed centrally within the HSE and funding is allocated to qualifying individuals on a 'first come, first served' basis. It should also be noted that, in qualifying for support under the scheme, a person undergoes the same standardised care needs and means assessment regardless of where they live.

The means assessment calculates each person's contribution towards their care based on ability to pay. A person's contribution to care is worked out based on 80% of their assessable income and 5% of the value of their assets per annum. The State then meets the full balance of the cost of care. The first €36,000 of a person's assets, or €72,000 in the case of a couple, is not included at all in the assessment, while a person's principal residence is only included for the first three years of their time in care. An additional €97 million was provided for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in Budget 2010. The additional funding brings the total budget for long-term residential care in 2010 to €979 million. This is effectively the budget for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme albeit that transitional arrangements must also be facilitated from within the subhead, i.e. people in contract beds or people who choose to remain on subvention.