Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Health the provision for the fair deal in the Estimates of 2012, 2013 and 2014; the outturn in relation to spend in 2012 and 2013; the cutback in funding for 2014; the number of places on the fair deal scheme that will be reduced in 2014; the length of the waiting list at present of persons waiting to be approved under the fair deal scheme; the number approved that are awaiting fair deal payment to enable them to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53186/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The total budget for long-term residential care was €994.7m in 2012 and is €974m for 2013. According to the Appropriation Accounts published on the Comptroller and Auditor General's website, the outturn in 2012 was €962.6m. The outturn for 2013 will not be available until next year.

With regard to funding for 2014, the Deputy will be aware that the total amounts available to fund health services in 2014 will be considerably lower than for this year. Accordingly, all expenditure headings are being scrutinised. The funding that is available must be balanced across all of the various service areas in a way that achieves the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritises areas of greatest need as far as possible.

The needs of our older people are, and will remain, a very high priority for me and for the Government, and the resources that ultimately are available will be applied to provide the best possible mix of supports and services.

At end-September there were 1,433 applications for the Scheme in the process of being determined.

On the 18th November there were 184 people on the placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. At that stage it was taking 7 days for funding to issue, from the date that the person was first placed on the list.