Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Health the numbers awaiting placement through the nursing homes support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40006/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The total budget for long-term residential care in 2013 is €974m. The HSE operates a national placement list to enable it to operate within the budget for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. All applicants who are approved for funding are put on the placement list in chronological order by the date of determination of their application. Funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally. The HSE makes every effort to match available funding to demand by releasing funding on a weekly basis.

On the 20th September there were 330 people on the national placement list. All applicants with a date of determination up to and including the 5th September had been approved for funding.