Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 237: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the allocation of funding in respect of enhanced nursing home subvention will be made available to the Southern Health Board Executive; and if her attention has been drawn to the severe hardship being imposed on families who are unable to meet the shortfall in nursing home costs and who have an entitlement to enhanced subvention. [10628/06]

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, HSE, 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.

The HSE has discretion to pay more than the maximum rate of subvention in a case, for example, where personal funds are exhausted. The application of this provision in an individual case is a matter for the HSE in the context of meeting increasing demands for subvention, subject to the provisions of the Health Act 2004. The average rate of subvention paid by the HSE generally exceeds the current approved basic rates.