Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 618: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the timetable for the repayment of illegal nursing home charges to persons who are in long stay institutions and for the family representatives of deceased persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28405/06]

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 and the legislative provisions of the Act came into effect on 30 June 2006. The repayment scheme was launched publicly by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the scheme administrator KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald on 14 August 2006. A national advertising campaign and a helpline also commenced on this date. The HSE and scheme administrator have sent out 22,000 application forms of which 11,500 have been returned.

It is anticipated that notification of the calculated amount of repayment due, in the case of applications received in respect of the 11,000 claims which have been validated by the scheme administrator, will issue in early October. Applicants will on receipt of these notifications have a period of 28 days in which to reject or appeal the calculated amount of repayment due prior to the issue of the money by the Health Service Executive. Provision has been made for applications to be received up to 1 January 2008 and it is anticipated that all repayments will have been completed by this date, however if necessary the cut off date for receipt of applications can be extended.