Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the repayment of the unlawfully deducted charges in nursing homes will commence; and the length of time it will take to complete the process; and her views on making a further interim payment in view of the delay and the advanced age of many of the recipients. [25396/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 was signed by the President on 23 June 2006. This Act provides a clear legal framework for a scheme to repay recoverable health charges for publicly funded long term care.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) have announced the appointment of a preferred service provider, a consortium comprising of KPMG accountancy group and McCann Fitzgerald solicitors, to administer this repayment scheme. The consortium has already commenced its preparatory work and intends to launch the scheme publicly in mid-July. The HSE has indicated that the consortium 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.

Repayments will be made as soon as possible, with priority given to living persons, and provision has been made for repayments to continue up to 2008. It is anticipated that all repayments will have been completed within this period, however if required the cut off date for receipt of applications can be extended.