Maria Corrigan (Fianna Fail)

I thank Minister of State for his response and have two comments. The first relates to the first section of his response in which he indicated the fair deal will not extend to mental health or long-term residential facilities. I am not asking for an extension to the scheme. Rather, I refer to free nursing home type settings or settings that are specifically for the support of older people. In cases where people require high level support and where there is an involuntary restriction on a person's individual freedom who then comes within the remit of the Mental Health Act, I ask that some flexibility is shown in that regard in accordance with the section of the Act to which I referred. I ask that such centres, where they are adjacent to nursing homes or part of nursing homes but because of the nature of the high support they provide fall under the provisions of the Mental Health Act, have some flexibility and could also be designated as an approved centre under the fair deal scheme.

I ask the Minister for clarification on the final part of his answer. I am a little confused. I am very happy to see it and if I sent the answer to many centres they would be very happy to see it because it will allow them to believe they will receive money. I know from experience with a constituent that this is not happening. I know of one constituent who was in a nursing home and had financial support, but because the person's needs changed, the person had to change where they were resident and had to pay for that.

I ask the Minister to clarify whether this is a new development which will be introduced in the future. My understanding is that the fair deal scheme cannot extend to parts of a nursing home which are not approved centres, even where they are in the same building or on the same campus. If they fall under the Mental Health Act and are in the same centre, and it is purely for the purposes of providing a higher level of support, the financial support will not follow.