Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action that will be taken in relation to the underspent money in the 2007 budget for the repayment to patients and families of money illegally charged in relation to long-stay care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29974/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The health repayment scheme was launched in August 2006 and is administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in conjunction with the appointed Scheme Administrator KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald.

The most up-to date information provided to me by the HSE indicates that a sum of €160m approximately will be paid out of the special account in 2007. This would mean that some €200m of the funding provided this year will not be required. However, the Government has provided a further €150m to cover repayments from the scheme in 2008. I understand that the Scheme Administrator has provided the HSE with assurances that all eligible claims received before the closing date of 31 December 2007 will be processed by the end of the contract period which expires at the end of June, 2008. The Government will ensure that provision is made to meet all appropriate costs arising under the scheme.

The HSE has indicated that the scheme is progressing as speedily as possible and every effort is being made to complete payments. The time taken to process each application varies depending on the complexity of the application, whether in the case of estates a grant of representation has been extracted and the availability of accurate records to calculate repayment.

As of 9 November 2007 over 31,000 claim forms have been received, 4,721 payments totalling over €93.4m have issued and 6,943 offers totalling over €134m have been made.