Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will review the decision made with regard to subvention for nursing home care in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; the reason for a reduced payment especially in view of the impact that this will have on those supporting the nursing care for this person; and if she will halt changes in subvention pending the introduction of the fair deal scheme. [42353/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I presume the Deputy is asking whether individual subvention payments will be maintained at their current level until such time as the new Nursing Homes Support Scheme, A Fair Deal, is introduced. The Nursing Home Subvention Scheme is governed by the Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Act 2007. Under the Act, the maximum amount for basic subvention is €300 per week. The Act also provides for enhanced subvention to be paid. However, there is no maximum amount set for enhanced subvention. The amount paid is at the discretion of the 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.

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.