Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the proportion of total payments repaid to date in the refunding of nursing home charges; the number of payments processed each week; the number of refunds outstanding; her views on whether all the payments will be reclaimed before the cut-off date of 31 December 2007; if these payments are not refunded by that date, the action that will be taken in respect of the remaining funds; the cost to the State on the private administration of these repayments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26253/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for administering the health repayment scheme in conjunction with the appointed scheme administrator KPMG/ McCann Fitzgerald.

The HSE has informed my Department that since the commencement of the scheme over 30,000 claims have been received and to date over 4,120 payments totalling over €82.3m have issued while 6,501 offers of repayment totalling over €123.8m have been made.

All eligible applications received prior to the closing date will be repaid in full and an appropriate provision will be made as necessary to meet any costs arising under the scheme. The HSE has advised that the private administration costs associated with the scheme are capped at €15 million exclusive of VAT and the Scheme Administrator has received €1 million to date in payment.

The Scheme Administrator and the HSE are confident that all claims submitted by eligible applicants by 31st December 2007 will be dealt with within the 2 year time frame allotted for the Scheme which is due to end in July 2008.