Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a person (details supplied) will be transferred to a hospice or nursing home for a period following treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13776/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of hospice care and nursing care in the Dublin area. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's eastern regional area to investigate the matter raised and to reply direct to the Deputy.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the budgetary allocation for persons with disabilities living in counties Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford; if this allocation is insufficient to continue the existing level of service into the last quarter of 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13777/05]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the allocation of moneys for services for people with disabilities. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's midland area to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 109: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she will roll out nationally the pilot home care grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13782/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the Health Service Executive has been piloting home care grant schemes in a number of areas. These schemes have been targeted at supporting older people living in the community as an alternative to long-term residential care and for older people who are being discharged from the acute hospital system. In the HSE eastern regional area, people have been discharged from acute hospitals under the Slán Abhaile and Home First pilot projects. In the HSE southern area, a similar project, Curam, has been piloted, while the Choice programme in the HSE north west area also provides such a scheme.

My Department has been working with the HSE to develop a national home care grant scheme. This is in keeping with a key recommendation in the O'Shea report on the nursing home subvention scheme which recommended that the health services develop a home based subvention scheme for older people as an alternative to long-term residential care. A draft of the scheme is currently being finalised by the HSE. Funding of €2 million has been allocated to the HSE in 2005 to introduce the scheme. In addition, funding of €113.75 million was allocated in 2004 for the home help service to support older people living in the community, with this funding being increased to €118.75 million in 2005.

In addition, as part of the Tánaiste's ten point plan to relieve ongoing pressure on acute hospital beds and accident and emergency services, it is proposed that the home care package scheme be expanded to support 500 additional older people who have been discharged from the acute hospital sector to their own homes.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 110: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the respite care facilities available to families of children with disabilities in the north west area, in particular for those in need of residential respite care. [13846/05]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for respite care. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's north western area to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 111: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the speech therapy services available in the north-west region, in particular access provided for children with disabilities to essential speech therapy programmes to develop and enhance their ability to speak, including current provisions for access to persons in rural areas; and the future plans to expand the service. [13847/05]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for speech and language therapy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's north western area to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.