Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the procedure employed in long-stay institutions for the acceptance or rejection of offers under the nursing home repayment scheme; the number of applicants in long-stay institutions who applied under the scheme; the number who have received an offer; the number who have sought a review of the offer made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16586/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 provides for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to make applications on behalf of living persons who are unable to make an application under the Scheme due to physical or mental incapacity. The HSE has informed my Department that following the launch of the Health Repayment Scheme, HSE Officials, in institutions approved under the Repayment Scheme, identified living persons who would not be capable of making an application and submitted applications on their behalf. Where the HSE claimant receives a letter of offer for a living person for whom they have submitted a claim, the HSE claimant examines the offer and if correct accepts the offer promptly to ensure early repayment into the Patient's Private Property Account. Where the HSE claimant has a query on the amount offered to the living person or where the offer does not include repayment for all previous periods of care covered by the scheme an appeal is made to the Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office. The Appeals Office has indicated that as of 25 April 2008, it has received 796 notices of intention to appeal from HSE claimants.

The HSE has indicated that approximately 8,500 claims were submitted on behalf of living persons either by the HSE (as outlined above), by the Wards of Courts Office or by personal representatives. The vast majority of valid claims for living persons are for those currently in long stay institutions. Letters of Offer have issued in respect of over 5,600 living persons under the Scheme.