Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

These amendments provide that where 5% of an individual's property is taken into account as part of the financial assessment for subvention, it will be taken into account only for the first three years the person is paid subvention. These amendments are intended to benefit many of those in private nursing homes in the immediate term. On foot of the amendments, the HSE will assess applicants for subvention and will ensure that if income has been imputed from the principal private residence for three or more years, no further income will be imputed under the financial means assessment process. It is consistent with the new nursing home support scheme, A Fair Deal, whereby the maximum rate of depletion of the principal private residence is capped at 15%, or three years. This limit of three years is being provided for in the Bill as part of the range of measures being introduced in 2007 in advance of the new scheme taking effect next year. As already mentioned, these measures have been provided for by way of regulations made before Christmas. Therefore, the measure is already in force and is now being transposed into primary legislation.