Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Health the reason funding for the fair deal scheme is suspended; when it will reopen and the timeframe that he envisages approved applicants will have to wait for necessary funding. [26305/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Firstly, I would like to clarify that the HSE did not suspend accepting applications for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. On 15 April 2013, the HSE temporarily suspended the chronological operation of the placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. Instead, funding under the Scheme was targeted at hospitals with the highest number of delayed discharges in an effort to alleviate pressure in Emergency Departments. The hospitals targeted were the Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals (DATHs) and Cork University Hospital.

It is understood that the HSE re-commenced the chronological operation of the placement list with effect from 9 May 2013. This ensures that funding is available to people in the community, people in nursing homes and people in all acute hospitals. The latest information provided to the Department shows that there are 873 people awaiting funding and that the average time spent awaiting funding is 49 days.