James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the different types of subvention available to people in nursing home care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37291/08]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people on waiting lists for enhanced subvention per county; if she will put forward a new scheme for enhanced subvention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37293/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 246 together.

The existing Nursing Home Subvention Scheme is governed by the Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Act, 2007. The Act provides for two different types of subvention, a) basic subvention and b) enhanced subvention. Under the Act, the maximum amount for basic subvention is €300 per week. However, there is no maximum amount set for enhanced subvention. The amount paid is at the discretion of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and will vary depending on the following criteria:

the assessed means of the applicant,

the cost of care in the individual case compared to the level of fees in the locality,

the amount of basic subvention payable,

the amount of resources available for the scheme,

the need for the HSE to ensure that the available resources are distributed in a way that supports applicants as evenly as possible across the country.

In order to qualify for a subvention, an individual must be:

(a) sufficiently dependent to require maintenance in a nursing home, and

(b) unable to pay any or part of the cost of maintenance in the home.

In order to determine this, they must undergo a means assessment which takes account of their income and assets.

On the 9th October last, the Minister published the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008. It is her intention to bring the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible with a view to implementing the scheme in 2009. The Nursing Homes Support Scheme will ultimately replace the existing Subvention Scheme. There are no plans to alter the system of enhanced subvention in the interim.

Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to answer the Deputy's query on the number of people on waiting lists for enhanced subvention per county. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people receiving subvention per county; the number of people receiving enhanced subvention per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37292/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people in public nursing home care and private nursing home care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37294/08]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of public and private long-term care nursing home beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37295/08]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number and percentage of people in private nursing home care who receive subvention; the number of people in private nursing home care who pay for private care wholly themselves; the number of people in private nursing home care in private beds paid for by the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37296/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 to 249, inclusive, together.

There are almost 8,500 public long-term residential care beds and approximately 17,600 private long-term residential care beds at present. Taking occupancy rates into account, this equates to approximately 7,700 public long-term residents and approximately 15,200 private long-term care residents. Of the private long-term care residents, approximately 8,700 are in receipt of basic subvention and approximately 5,000 of these people are also in receipt of enhanced subvention. A further 3,000 private long-term care residents are in beds that have been contracted by the Health Service Executive. The balance pay their nursing home fees privately.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money allocated to the implementation of the fair deal in 2008; the amount of money allocated in 2009 once funding redirected from the fair deal to meet competing budgetary pressures in the Health Service Executive is considered; the funding available to the implementation of the fair deal; the number of people catered for under this financial allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37297/08]

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. In order to alleviate the financial pressure for older people and their families, €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. Budget 2009 provided €55 million for the implementation of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme next year. This brings the total funding in the subhead for long-term residential care to €909 million. The scheme will be introduced, in the context of this funding allocation, once the legislation has been passed and the Act commenced.

With regard to the number of people that this allocation will cater for, this will be contingent on several factors including the timeframe for the passing of the legislation underpinning the scheme and commencement of the Act, the cost of nursing home care, the number of new nursing homes that open and the number of existing residents that opt to switch from the Subvention Scheme to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme.