Mary White (Fianna Fail)

As Fianna Fáil's Seanad spokesperson on older people, I enthusiastically welcomed the Government's recent fair deal initiative which will go a long way to ease the burden on families paying for nursing home care. I also welcome the development of a quality monitoring regime, introduced under the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. The registration and inspection of nursing homes have been transferred from the HSE to HIQA as from 1 July. The annual licensing fee in nursing homes, set out in regulations of the Department of Health and Children, is set at €190 per client per bed. I have received many representations on this issue and there has been much press coverage. Can the Leader clarify if this is, in effect, a Government levy to finance the registration and inspection of all nursing homes? Have nursing homes been charged with the responsibility of collecting this annual levy and transferring the payment to the Health Information and Quality Authority? Is it the intention that this cost be passed on to the client?