Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the large variation in subvention payments in different Health Service Executive regions; if she expects this to continue; her plans to regularise these payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3059/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

There are currently three rates of subvention payable, that is, €114.30, €152.40 and €190.50 for the three levels of dependency which are medium, high and maximum. Included in these payments is an increase of 25% which came into effect in April 2001.

The HSE has discretion to pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency in a case, for example, where personal funds are exhausted. The average rate of subvention paid by the HSE generally exceeds the current approved basic rates. The application of the subvention scheme is a matter for the HSE in the context of meeting increasing demands for subvention, subject to the provisions of the Health Act 2004. An additional €20 million has been provided for subvention payments this year including addressing the variations in payments in different areas.

The broad policy questions relating to long-term care have been examined by an inter-departmental group on long-term care which has now reported to Government. Among the issues it has examined is the question of the appropriate level of State support for long-term residential care, which includes the issue raised by the Deputy of regional variations in costs of care. The Government is now considering this report.