Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the terms of the fair deal scheme cover only care institutions which are registered nursing homes; the reasons a private hospital, (details supplied) in Dublin 9 has been excluded from the scheme in view of that fact that it is one of the few facilities on the northside of Dublin that can accommodate patients with Alzheimer's. [38427/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, A Fair Deal, is intended to replace both the existing Nursing Home Subvention Scheme, which applies to private nursing homes, and the system of charging in public and voluntary nursing homes. The new scheme will apply to public and voluntary nursing homes and to approved private nursing homes. In order to become approved for the purposes of the scheme, a private nursing home must be registered under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 at present and, in the future, under the Health Act 2007 (once the relevant sections are commenced; have agreed a price for the purposes of the scheme with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF)); hold a valid tax clearance certificate.

The Nursing Home Subvention Scheme does not apply to private hospitals unless they are also registered as private nursing homes. The same will be the case for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. It does not specifically exclude private hospitals from the scheme, rather it sets out the criteria a facility must meet in order to be included.

Therefore, with regard to the specific hospital mentioned by the Deputy, this hospital will qualify for the scheme only if it is a registered private nursing home and meets the conditions for approval as set out above.