Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications made to the health repayment scheme for the reimbursement of nursing home charges which were taken illegally; the number of repayments made to date; the cost of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6227/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The health repayment scheme is administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in conjunction with the appointed Scheme Administrator KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald.

The HSE has informed the Department that over 25,000 forms have been submitted to the Scheme Administrator applying for repayments and these applications are being processed at present. The timeframe for repayment is predicated primarily on whether the applicant is alive as living people who were wrongly charged will be prioritised to receive repayments. It is estimated that there are now in the region of 14,000 people within this category, approximately 10,000 of whom have already applied.

The HSE has advised that offers of repayment commenced in November 2006 and that the first payments issued in December 2006 with further payments continuing on an ongoing basis. The HSE has indicated that over €19 million has been repaid to date in respect of 894 payments and that the average repayment is approximately €21,000. In addition, the Scheme Administrator has issued a further 1,537 letters to individuals outlining the calculation of the amount of repayment due on the basis of their applications. The Scheme Administrator is awaiting acceptance of these offers which amount to over €32 million. It is expected that the bulk of payments to estates will commence later in the Spring. Provision has been made for applications to be received up to 1 January 2008.