Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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379. To ask the Minister for Health the progress of the fair deal nursing home scheme; and the proposed changes to the fair deal nursing home scheme. [2260/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Since the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) commenced, in October 2009, 56,989 applications for funding under the Scheme have been received. In 2014, 22,061 people were funded under the NHSS.

The budget for the Scheme in 2015 is €948.8m which reflects an increase of €10m from the 2014 position. The increase of €10m is part of the initiative to tackle delayed discharges and has been provided for the provision of an additional 300 long stay care places under the NHSS.

The review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme which is currently in progress will include consideration of the balance between community and residential services as well as the future financing and sustainability of the Scheme. Work on this review is well advanced and it will be published in the coming months.