James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the date she expects legislation on the fair deal nursing home support scheme to be published; the reason for the delay in publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32673/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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Both the Minister for Health and Children and I are fully committed to introducing the new nursing homes support scheme in 2009. The legislation required in order to introduce the scheme is complex and has involved careful drafting to ensure that the interests of older people requiring residential care are fully protected. The Minister expects to publish the Bill within the next two weeks or so and to bring it before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate in this Dáil session.

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 necessary funding for the scheme will be addressed as part of the forthcoming budget.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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This scheme was first announced in 2006 and was to be introduced, we were told in 2007, in January 2008. We are now being told it will be published in two weeks. I hope it will be published on this occasion and that we will have a full and proper debate and plenty of time to consider it, as I requested previously. This is a considerable issue for patients and their families.

With regard to the funding for 2008, some €85 million was saved. Was it allocated to the nursing home refund scheme? Where is it now? This is a very important issue for many families. It is not just pertinent to nursing homes but it is having a considerable impact on hospitals. Patients in north Dublin cannot get into Beaumont Hospital because the beds are filled with patients who cannot be discharged.

It is a fact that there are 22 long-stay and rehabilitation beds per 1,000 over-65s nationally. In Dublin North, which has the second highest population of over-65s, there are only three such beds. Some days ago, the Minister and I were in a new modern facility in Balrothery in Balbriggan which has 40 spare beds, yet people are screaming for beds in Beaumont and the Mater. Three weeks ago the Mater had 130 people awaiting discharge and the accident and emergency department had discharged all its patients into the day-care beds such that surgery could not take place.

This issue is real for people, including an 80 year old man who was sent home from Beaumont Hospital last week. Two days later he had a number of falls, culminating in a fall at 11 p.m., and he was found on the floor at 10 a.m. the next day covered in his own faeces. This man worked all his life and paid his taxes, yet this is all we can offer him.

Will the Minister put the funding available for the fair deal scheme in 2008 back into subvention to allow people obtain long-stay care for their loved ones and to take the pressure off hospitals? While we do need more beds, there are beds available as we speak without our having to build new ones. Why can we not avail of them?

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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A number of legal issues led to the undesirable delay that occurred in respect of the finalising of the Bill for Government. Legal issues emerged in the discussions with the Parliamentary Counsel and these had to be cleared before the Bill could come before Government for approval. Thankfully we are now at a very advanced stage.

On Deputy Reilly's question on the €110 million for the scheme, to date €13 million has been allocated from those moneys provided in budget 2008 for the provision of 200 contract beds. Approval was also given to the HSE to utilise a further €12 million in meeting the costs associated with nursing home subventions and existing contract beds. This brings to €25 million the total funding redirected from the nursing home support scheme and committed to nursing home supports in 2008. The intention was that the balance of the €110 million would be used to meet certain other additional costs facing the health services this year as part of the budgetary consolidation measure announced by the Government in July. The necessary funding for the scheme dealt with in the Bill, which will be published in the next couple of weeks, is an issue to be dealt with in the forthcoming budget.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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There will be no additional funding for the people this year. There is no relief for them.

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I have made clear what has been allocated at this point.