Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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406. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive will be introducing charges for the provision of inpatient respite care services - which it has not done up to now - in January 2015; the estimated revenue that will be raised from this charge in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46120/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I do not propose to introduce any new charges from 1 January 2015.

In accordance with the Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations 2005-2011, charges apply for in-patient services other than for acute hospital care and for long-term residential care services supported under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Fair Deal), both of which are subject to separate charging regimes. Under these Regulations, the HSE must apply charges (subject to certain exemptions) to all those who receive in-patient services for in excess of 30 days over a rolling 12 month period.

In the interests of fairness and equity, the HSE circulated directions to ensure the standard and consistent application of the 2005 legislation on charges for in-patient respite care services across all HSE areas at the end of March 2013. This was intended to bring any remaining areas not charging for in-patient respite care services into line with other areas that were already doing so.

The level of the charges is based on income and cannot exceed 80% of the weekly non-contributory State pension. The Regulations provide for a maximum charge of €175 per week where in-patient care is provided in a setting with 24-hour nursing care or a maximum of €130 per week where in-patient care is provided in other settings. The charging legislation provides that the HSE may reduce or waive charges where necessary to avoid financial hardship, having regard to individual financial circumstances (including whether there are dependants).

The HSE does not collate details regarding respite-specific income.