Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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683. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients currently on the placement list for long term nursing home care in the State; if he will indicate the average cost of maintaining a patient in an acute hospital who would otherwise be accommodated in nursing home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31980/13]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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684. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the number of beds in private nursing homes which the Health Service Executive has reserved for use under the fair deal scheme and where they are located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31981/13]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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685. To ask the Minister for Health if he will detail the number of public nursing home beds available under the fair deal scheme by location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31982/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 683 to 685, inclusive, together.

The latest information available to the Department indicates that there were 873 people on the national placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme at end-April and that the average time spent awaiting funding was 49 days. However, not all of these people would have been in acute hospitals. Between January and April 2013, about 43% of all applications for the Scheme were from people in acute hospitals.

The HSE does not reserve beds in private nursing homes for use under the Scheme. Individuals who have been approved for funding under the Scheme can choose the nursing home in which they wish to reside, subject to the nursing home:

- being an 'approved nursing home' for the purposes of the Scheme,

- having an available bed, and,

- being able to meet the individual's particular needs.

A list of all 'approved nursing homes' is available on the HSE's website.

The average cost of maintaining a person in an acute hospital and the number of public nursing home beds available under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme are services matters and, as such, have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.