Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of new beds for step-down or long-term care which have been made available as a result of diverting some of the money allocated from the fair deal scheme in 2008 to this purpose. [33458/08]

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 publish the Bill very shortly and to bring it before the Houses of the Oireachtas for debate in this Dáil session.