Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

Enhanced subvention should be used to develop consistency between the payment of subvention and the new nursing home support scheme, and to work towards equalisation of the level of support paid to people in different areas taking local prices and a person's means into account. The HSE guidelines provide that an applicant for enhanced subvention will be subject to the means assessment. Regarding the specific case raised by Deputy Crawford, I understand from the executive that the individual concerned is on the current maximum enhanced subvention rate.

The new nursing home support scheme, a fair deal, was approved by Government and announced in December 2006. The fair deal is designed to remove real financial hardship from many individuals and their families who, under the old system of nursing home subvention, are forced to sell or re-mortgage homes to pay for the cost of nursing home care. This is the essence of the policy.

Since December 2006, my Department has met groups and organisations, including the national federation of pensioners associations, the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the social partners. The Department also attended the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament AGM at its request and participated in a workshop on the new scheme.

The Bill to provide for the scheme is currently being finalised by the Office of the Attorney General and I hope to publish it as soon as possible following Government approval. On publication of the Bill, further engagement will take place with stakeholders on the details of the new scheme. This will take place under the auspices of Towards 2016. The subsequent presentation and passage of the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas will be a matter of priority for me as I wish to make the benefits of the scheme available to older people as soon as possible.

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