Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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206. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the waiting list for funding approval under the fair deal nursing home scheme which currently stands at approximately four months; if he will allocate further funding under the fair deal scheme across the regions to address the current backlog in the system; the action he will take in his Department’s budget for 2015 to address and reduce this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39243/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The HSE controls the release of funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in order to stay within budget and to balance activity over the full course of the year. All applicants for participation in the Scheme are, when approved, put on a national placement list in strict order of their approval date. The funding issues to applicants in this chronological order so as to ensure equity nationally.

At present, significant funding pressures exist in the health services generally, and 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 underway.