Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 212: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will review the provision of nursing home care, both public and private, for the elderly; if a uniform scheme will be introduced for the whole country to ensure equality and fairness for all residents from the point of view of payment for this service; if subvention rates will be increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20706/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the intention of the Department to put in place a more robust regulatory system as quickly as possible to protect vulnerable older people and to provide for the highest possible standards of care for older people in long-stay facilities.

This process has begun by firstly reviewing the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 and regulations made under the Act with a view to strengthening the powers available to the regulatory authorities. Secondly, the social services inspectorate will be established on a statutory basis and it is intended to extend its remit to include residential facilities for older people, both public and private. The inspectorate will be independent of the Health Service Executive and the Department. Legislation to give effect to these changes will be brought before the Oireachtas later this year.

An interdepartmental group, comprising senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and Social and Family Affairs and chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, was established in January 2005 to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long-term care, including long-stay care for older people. The group is due to report to the Tánaiste and Minster for Social and Family Affairs this summer.

The nursing home subvention scheme was introduced in 1993 to assist people with the cost of private nursing home care and it was never intended to cover the entire cost of such care. At this stage it is not the intention to increase subvention rates.