Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The existing nursing home support scheme provides that a person who was in nursing home care when the scheme commenced in 2009 shall have his or her State support backdated to 27 October 2009. This provision was originally inserted in anticipation of a large volume of applications in the initial months of the scheme. It ensured that if any backlogs occurred at that time, applicants would not be disadvantaged. Given that, as I pointed out earlier, the scheme has been in operation for almost four years, it is considered appropriate and not unreasonable to abolish this provision because this cohort of residents has had ample time to apply. However, the section does not preclude anyone who has been in nursing home care since prior to October 2009 from making an application in respect of the scheme.