Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The question of retrospective payment does not arise because in each area the subvention depends on the cost of the nursing home care. Nursing home care costs differ greatly between areas like Dublin, Cork, Galway and areas of rural Ireland. In some rural areas, the costs of care are much lower than in others. I do not envisage any retrospective payment being made. There will be some equalisation of the system but that will always take into account the cost of the nursing home in the specialised area, the ability of the individual to pay and his or her income and assets.