Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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163. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he will take to deal with the massive waiting lists for approval under the fair deal scheme and his views regarding the reversal of cuts in this area.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38940/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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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 balance the position across the full year. On the 9th October 2014 (latest figures available), there were 2,114 people on the national placement list for funding, with average waiting times of approximately 15 weeks.

The Deputy will appreciate that significant funding pressures exist in the health services generally, and that the Nursing Homes Support Scheme must operate within the funding available to it and must manage this in the most effective possible way. The position for 2015 will be considered in the context of the Estimates Process for that year, which is currently under way.