Written answers

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Department of Health

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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131. To ask the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38434/14]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme provides financial support towards the cost of long term residential care services in nursing homes. The total budget for long-term residential care is €939m in 2014. A number of people covered by funding arrangements which preceded the Scheme are also covered by this funding. However, €23m has been transferred from the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to provide additional community services, with a view to allowing more older people to be supported in their own homes and communities for longer in line with both Government policy and with the expressed wishes of older people.The target in the HSE's Service Plan 2014 is for 22,061 persons to be in receipt of financial support for long-term residential care by year end.

The HSE operates a national placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to enable it to operate within budget. All applicants who are approved for funding are put on the placement list in chronological order by the date of determination of their application, and funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally. Funding is released by the HSE on a weekly basis to ensure those on the placement list receive it as soon as possible.

Funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be considered in the context of the Estimates Process 2015, which is currently underway. The funding that becomes 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.

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