Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will allocate the €101 million funding set aside in 2008 for the introduction of the fair deal scheme to ease the financial pressure on families who are facing significant nursing home bills due to the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31674/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2008 provided €110 million for the implementation of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, A Fair Deal. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, and I are conscious of the effect that the unavoidable and unforeseen delays in implementing Fair Deal are causing to some older people and their families. To date, €13 million has been allocated from the additional monies provided in Budget 2008 for the provision of 200 contract beds. Approval has also been given to the HSE to utilise a further €12 million in meeting costs associated with nursing home subventions and existing contract beds.

This brings to €25 million the total funding redirected from the Nursing Homes Support Scheme and committed to nursing home supports in 2008. The intention is that the balance of the €110 million will be used to meet certain other additional costs facing the health services this year, as part of the budgetary consolidation measures announced by the Government last July.

Both the Minister and I are fully committed to introducing the new Nursing Homes Support Scheme in 2009. The Minister expects to bring the Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate in this Dáil session.