Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the new charge levied against nursing home beds for inspection far exceeds the cost of conducting inspections and that this levy is instead a stealth tax aimed at gathering revenue for the deteriorating Exchequer finances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13129/09]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to have effective mechanisms to maintain and enhance public confidence in the delivery of quality residential care. Residents, their families and the public need to be reassured that HIQA (an independent inspectorate) will be monitoring the care people receive. It is important therefore to have an effective, robust, independent and properly resourced inspection regime for residential services for older people.

Under the 2007 Act statutory responsibility is given to the Chief Inspector of Social Services for inspecting and registering residential services for children, older people and people with disabilities. Following analysis of the types of centres, numbers of places, etc. it was a decided to set a registration fee of €500, payable every 3 years by each nursing home together with an annual fee of €190 per place in each registered centre. It is estimated that this will generate a minimum income of about €4.5 million which would cover the minimum annual additional funding required without putting an excessive burden on smaller residential units. The fees as calculated covers staff costs only; non-pay costs such as accommodation and equipment, are coming from the overall HIQA budget. It is further estimated that the fee will represent an average weekly cost of €3.73 per registered place.