Seán Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 176: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will provide a report on the long-term stay charges repayment scheme; and when she expects that payments will be made to those presently awaiting payment (details supplied). [17274/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006 provides a clear legal framework for a scheme to repay recoverable health charges for publicly funded long-term residential care. The Bill was published on 16 March 2006 and the second stage reading of the Bill commenced in the Dáil on 30 March 2006, continued on 27 April and will resume on 16 May 2006. Committee stage will begin shortly thereafter.

It is my wish that the important legislative proposals contained in the Bill have a speedy passage through the Oireachtas prior to the summer recess. This will enable the implementation of the scheme to ensure the repayments can be made swiftly to those eligible for repayment, following the completion of an uncomplicated application process.

It is currently envisaged that repayments will commence shortly after the Bill is approved and signed into law and an outside company has been appointed to make the repayments. The time scale determined by the Health Service Executive for the selection process including the appointment of the successful company is the mid-May 2006, with repayments to claimants likely to commence in June 2006.

Specific enquiries relating to the scheme are referred to the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive. My Department has asked the HSE to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.