Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the date the fair deal nursing home support scheme legislation will be published; if the necessary funds will be allocated for the proposed scheme; the reason for the delay in publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32254/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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Both the Minister for Health and Children and I are fully committed to introducing the new Nursing Homes Support Scheme in 2009. The legislation required in order to introduce the Scheme is complex and has involved careful drafting in order to ensure that the interests of older people requiring residential care are fully protected. The Minister expects to bring the Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate in this Dáil session. Details of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme were announced in December 2006 in order to facilitate consultation with the social partners and other stakeholders and such consultation has taken place. However, a number of legal issues emerged in the discussions with Parliamentary Counsel which meant it was not possible to finalise the Bill for Government approval prior to 1 January 2008 as originally intended. However, despite the delay, the principles of the scheme remain the same as originally announced.

The Fair Deal is designed to remove real financial hardship from many individuals and their families who, under the current system of Nursing Home Subvention, have to sell or re-mortgage homes to pay for the cost of nursing home care. There will be one, transparent system of support towards the cost of care that will be fair to all, irrespective of whether they are in public or private nursing homes. The basic commitments of the new scheme are that:

Individuals will be asked to contribute, based on their income and assets;

The HSE will meet the balance of cost in nursing homes approved for the purpose;

Individuals won't have to sell or mortgage their house;

Individuals won't have to borrow to fund costs;

Individuals won't experience unaffordable costs;

An individual's family won't have to find money for their care.

The new scheme encompasses key steps. The first of these is a care needs assessment carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of HSE healthcare professionals. If a person is assessed as requiring residential care, he/she can apply to the HSE for a means assessment which will calculate his or her contribution to care. On publication of the Bill, further engagement will take place with stakeholders on the details of the new scheme. This will take place under the auspices of Towards 2016. Any decisions regarding overall funding for the scheme will have to be taken by Government within the context of the budgetary and economic position.