Results 1,181-1,200 of 1,546 for speaker:Áine Brady

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: In response to Senator Fitzgerald, mental health funding was not put into a single dedicated subhead and because the fair deal funding is within a single dedicated subhead it cannot be moved elsewhere without notification to the Oireachtas. The HSE makes monthly returns to the Department regarding expenditure on each subhead, including B16, and this will be carefully monitored. Allocation...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The amendment proposes to impose a timeframe for the commencement of care needs assessments. I appreciate the policy intention of this amendment. It is envisaged that care needs assessments would be undertaken quickly. However, it is considered imperative that the legislation should be flexible on this point. This is particularly pertinent having regard to the fact that the legislation...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: Yes.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: I appreciate the Senator's point in regard to the 79% figure but this means the law is being broken in regard to over 20% of cases. It has taken us five years to reach 79%. I will get further information on the guidelines for the Senator.

Seanad: SCHEDULE 1. (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: If I accept these amendments, there will be no cap because the Members proposed no alternative. The majority of people entering nursing homes are between 70 and 80 years of age and, as such, the majority of farms and businesses will have been transferred. These new measures will support people who enter at a younger age. Question, "That the words proposed to be deleted stand", put and...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: Amendment No. 33 requires the Minister to provide an arbitration scheme for disputes between the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, and private nursing home owners. I reiterate that the scheme is voluntary. Private nursing homes can choose not to negotiate with the NTPF and they only participate in the scheme if they so wish.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: I do not consider that arbitration would serve a useful purpose in this context. Arbitration is a wonderful tool where disputes concern complex work projects or prolonged and detailed service agreements. However, the issue in question is the price charged for the purpose of the scheme. The resident will decide which nursing home to occupy, the quality of the service will be governed by the...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: I am saying that the nature of the issue to be negotiated would not benefit from an arbitration system. The NTPF will need to obtain value for money because if it does not, the financial sustainability of the overall scheme will be undermined. The ability to view accounts is only an enabling provision. We understand that accounts are routinely offered to the NTPF when negotiating with...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The HSE will publish a list of its facilities and the cost of a bed in each facility. How that cost is arrived at will be laid before the Houses by way of the cost components under section 33. If the Senator wants to resubmit the amendment for further consideration on Report Stage it is up to him but I do not see how it can be clarified.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The Minister is in a position to direct the HSE to publish a list of its facilities and the cost of the bed. How the cost is arrived at will come before the House by way of the cost components under section 33.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: By way of the cost components under section 33.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The Minister does not need this Bill to ask the HSE to publish a list of its facilities and the cost of a bed in each facility. Section 33 sets out the right to charge for public care. It states the charges may not exceed the costs. This means the costs must be publicly available.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: I will certainly give thought to what has been said, but I cannot give any commitment.

Seanad: SCHEDULE 1. (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The Senator is proposing to delete paragraphs which I introduced on Report Stage in the Dáil. These paragraphs were introduced to address concerns expressed by a number of Deputies on both Second and Committee Stages about the treatment of farms in the Bill. The effect of the amendments is to extend the three-year cap to farms and businesses in certain circumstances. The amendments...

Seanad: SCHEDULE 1. (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The measures are based on a proposal submitted to the Minister for Health and Children by the IFA. The 5% is consistent with the current subvention scheme. The interdepartmental working group on long-term care considered that this was a fair amount to contribute to long-term care. Bearing in mind that it is capped at the cost of the care, rich people may pay less than 5%. This measure...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The amendment, which has been disallowed, proposes to delete subsection (11), which states that a care needs assessment shall not be construed as conferring an entitlement to services. The inclusion of the subsection is considered important by the Attorney General because it supports section 5, which stipulates that the scheme is resource capped. The resource cap is a key feature of the...

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The response is the same.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: The view of the Government is the scheme is resource capped. This year the cap is €55 million. It simply means the scheme is resource capped.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: That is correct but it will be capped every year and this year the cap is €55 million.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)

Áine Brady: I cannot provide the numbers requiring care. Under subhead B16, the total cap is €909 million, which will be reviewed every year. This year the cap is €55 million.