Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 425: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the figure for savings is to be disregarded when means-testing a subvention for a nursing homes application. [25718/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 allows for the payment of a subvention towards the cost of private nursing home care based on a dependency and means assessment. The criteria used in determining a person's eligibility for subvention is set out in the Nursing Homes Regulations 1993.

The subvention scheme was introduced to assist with the cost of private nursing home care and it was never intended that a subvention payment would meet the full costs of private nursing home care. It should be noted that the regulations governing means assessment were devised to try to provide an equitable system of payment and to direct available resources to those most in need. It is in order to avoid a situation where a person's entire savings are taken into account that the regulations prescribe an amount of savings that will be disregarded when assessing an application for subvention. My Department is currently reviewing the subvention scheme and the current thresholds set out in the regulations will be examined as part of that review.