Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in relation to an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Longford under the health repayment scheme, where the appeals office states that a residence was governed by the terms of a private contract, she will state who this private contract was between. [24587/09]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in relation to an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Longford under the health repayment scheme where the appeals office used a term, she will explain the meaning of this term; the person who the person in question was boarded out to; and the person who made the decision to board them out. [24588/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.

The Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office is an independent office established to provide an appeals service to those who wish to appeal the decision of the Scheme Administrator under the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006.

The claimant referred to by the Deputy lodged an Appeal Form with the Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office on 30 June 2008 and an Oral Hearing with an Appeals Officer was arranged for the claimant on 16 September 2008. The Appeals Officer made a determination on this appeal on 12 June 2009 and this written decision providing the claimant with the reasons for the decision was sent to the claimant.

The reference to "private contract" in the following sentence from the Appeals Officer's decision letter "I am informed by the HSE that her residence in Mary Martin Nursing Home was governed by the terms of a private contract and accordingly I am satisfied that the charges that she incurred while resident there are not recoverable health charges under the Scheme." refers to the contract between the late patient and the private nursing home. The term "boarded out" referred to by the Deputy is not used in the Appeals Officer's decision letter to the claimant.