Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 209: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the date by which she and the HSE expect the first repayments under the national repayment scheme for long-stay charges to begin. [16620/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Government has agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long stay charges for publicly funded long term residential care. All those who were charged and are alive and the estates of all those who were charged and died in the six years prior to 9 December 2004 will have the charges repaid in full. The scheme will not provide for repayments to the estates of those who died more than six years ago. The repayments will include both the actual charge paid and an amount to take account of inflation using the CPI since the time the person involved was charged.

Legislation will be brought before the Oireachtas as soon as possible to provide a clear legal framework for the scheme. The legislation will reflect the detailed design of a scheme drawn up by the company chosen by tender to assist the Health Service Executive with the repayment scheme. The objective is to initiate repayments later this year.