Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the changes made in the way in which people can make a claim for money lodged in the accounts of deceased family members who had been in long term care prior to their death; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24069/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has issued interim guidelines in respect of the administration of patient private property accounts, in advance of the issue of final guidelines following the enactment of the Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006. These guidelines standardise the operation of these accounts throughout the HSE.

Following the death of a patient there is a legal obligation on the HSE to ensure that any funds held on behalf of the patient are preserved for the beneficiaries of the patients' estates. Patients' funds can be released to the administrator of an estate on production of the letters of administration issued by the Probate Office. In instances where, having made all reasonable enquiries, the HSE is advised that there is no will and no intention to seek formal appointment of an administrator, the HSE may pay out patient funds where the balance held is less than €15,000. In such instances payment will be made to the next of kin, on production of the required documentation and following consultation with a solicitor acting on behalf of the HSE, in accordance with the succession act.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a person who was a patient in an acute hospital and was subsequently offered a bed in a public nursing home but was too ill at the time to be moved there will be refunded under the national repayment scheme for the five years spent in a private nursing home. [24081/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the placing of a person in a private nursing home is a private matter between the person or his or her representatives and the nursing home proprietor, as are the fees charged in these facilities. The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 allows for the payment of a subvention towards the cost of such care based on a medical and means assessment. The process used in determining a person's eligibility for subvention is set out in the Nursing Homes Regulations 1993. The repayment scheme for charges for publicly funded residential long term care does not apply to individuals in private nursing homes who pay the full cost of private nursing home care or who have entered these homes under the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when people will be paid the money due to them under the national repayment scheme in relation to the nursing home charges. [24082/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006 was published on 16 March 2006 and the Bill completed all stages in the Oireachtas on 14 June 2006. The Bill has now been forwarded to the President for signing into law. This Bill provides a clear legal framework for a scheme to repay recoverable health charges for publicly funded long term care.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) are in the process of announcing the appointment of a preferred service provider to administer this repayment scheme. On appointment the company will immediately begin work on the scheme to ensure that a significant proportion of patients will receive their repayments within a short period. The company will, within four weeks of appointment, begin to issue application forms and begin notifying approximately 7,600 living patients of the amount of repayment due to them.

The HSE has indicated that the details of these repayments have been prepared in advance of the appointment of the company. On submission of an application and receipt of notification of the calculated amount of repayment due, the applicant will have a period of 28 days in which to appeal or reject the calculated amount of repayment due prior to the issuing of money by the HSE.