Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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431. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 269 of 11 May 2023, if he will provide further details on the internal HSE TAPS audit referred to; the date it was received by the HSE, and him and his Department; the results and recommendations of this audit; when his Department intends to publish the final audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23685/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) was established in April 2020 in response to a public health emergency to provide support to private and voluntary nursing homes to mitigate and respond to the impacts of COVID-19. The core concept of the scheme when it was established was that the State would provide additional funding to those nursing homes that require it to contribute towards costs associated with COVID-19 preparedness, mitigation and outbreak management.

The scheme was established on an administrative basis and guidelines were issued by the HSE setting out allowable and non-allowable costs and a robust regime of overall controls.

Scheme payments were based on vouched expenditure, meaning that all claims were for COVID-19 related costs incurred by nursing homes and supported by financial information. Each nursing home’s monthly claim was capped depending on size, up to an overall maximum of €60,000 per month. All claims were reviewed and validated, with avenues for escalation and query where needed.

All applications may be audited for a period of six years, and any unallowable applications paid or claims that cannot be vouched can be clawed back. Under the terms of the COVID-19 Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme for Nursing Homes, each nursing home seeking support under the arrangement agreed that its application would be subject to audit.

Under the terms of the scheme the NTPF or the HSE would, on a sample and/or risk basis, carry out formal audits of claims made retrospectively and would be supported in this work by professional auditors. In return, nursing homes applying to the scheme needed to provide vouched evidence of COVID-19 expenditure as any expenditure that could not be vouched would be deducted from future claims or NHSS payments. Nursing homes are obliged to retain records for a minimum period of 6 years.

Over €149 million has been claimed by nursing homes under the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) since its introduction. The Outbreak Assistance element of the scheme was extended, with a gradual reduction of the threshold for maximum monthly claim amounts applying to claims from 01 March 2023. The scheme ceased at the end of April 2023. This approach takes account of the changed situation with regard to COVID-19 in Ireland, and the inherently temporary nature of the scheme.

In relation to the specifics of the questions asked, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.