Brady, AineTuesday, 26 May 2009 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Order of Business.
Question put: “That the proposal for dealing with No. 23 be agreed to.”
Voted Yes 
Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Report Stage.
I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, between lines 49 and 50, to insert the following: ““authorised person” has the same meaning as it has in section 17;”. The collective purpose of these amendments is ...
Yes.
Yes.
It is not necessary because we have said they can be processed under the existing paper-based system.
I have just given Deputy Reilly that information. It says “may” and not “shall”.
The reason is the Property Registration Authority, which is referred to as “the authority”, commenced this electronic discharge of mortgages after 30 March last after Committee Stage. We saw this pro...
I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, line 14, to delete “shall specify“ and substitute “shall, subject to section 33(2), specify”. Amendments Nos. 2 and 99 to 102, inclusive, collectively address an iss...
I move amendment No. 5: In page 11, after line 45, to insert the following: “(5) The Scheme established by this Act shall be operated subject to the principles that— (a) applicants who are determined ...
The allocation and adequacy of resources is ultimately a matter for the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the Government. Notwithstanding that, the Minister is satisfied that suffi...
Regarding the monitoring of resources, the allocation and adequacy of resources is a matter for the Minister and will be monitored by the Department. The HSE must prepare and submit the service plan ...
I am sure the Department listened very carefully to what was said.
Amendment put.
Voted No
Amendments Nos. 7 and 8 propose to impose a timeframe for the commencement of care needs assessments. I appreciate the policy intention of these amendments. It is envisaged that care needs assessmen...
Yes.
The Minister for Health and Children reflected carefully on the points raised by Deputy Jan O’Sullivan on Committee Stage. She is not in a position, as I outlined in my earlier reply, to accept the a...
Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages.
Amendment No. 9 proposes that care needs assessments should be undertaken by HIQA. The function of HIQA will be to register and inspect all designated centres, including public, private and voluntary...
A person can request a review, but it must be considered afresh the second time. In other words, they do not look at the first application. Of course, an appeals panel will be appointed by the Minis...
The existing officers who are administering the subvention scheme, the public long-stay charges, etc., would have to be redeployed. These people have had some initial training and the Deputy is also ...
Amendments Nos. 10 and 11, which relate to determinations on care needs assessments, are already addressed in the legislation. Amendment No. 10 seeks to provide that the HSE shall take into account w...
A number of Deputies expressed concern on Second Stage and Committee Stage regarding the treatment of farms under the Bill. In particular, they indicated their concerns with regard to the potential i...
With regard to the issue of care need assessment as raised by Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, there will be a multidisciplinary team in each HSE region and the HSE has agreed a national common needs assessment...
The other request from the farming organisations related to cases involving a family farm business where the successor would depend on the farm for a living or part thereof. Older people are encourag...
I move amendment No. 12: In page 13, line 34, to delete “15 working days” and substitute “10 working days”. I will speak to amendments Nos. 12, 23, 30, 32, 34, 42, 43, 50, 58, 71, 73, 74, 75, 77, 79, ...
Amendment No. 39 stipulates the periodic basis for ancillary State support shall not exceed two months. This approach acknowledges the administrative reality that the State will provide financial sup...
I move amendment No. 14: In page 14, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(13) The content of a care needs assessment report may be provided to a relevant facility or approved nursing ho...
Yes. The Minister believes it should not be a case of only certain people being allowed to be selected. Medical social workers already undertake this role of assistance. Under sections 21 and 47, a...
I move amendment No. 16: In page 14, to delete lines 14 to 26 and substitute the following: “(13) In this section “specified person” has the same meaning as it has in section 47.”. Taken collectively,...
Amendments Nos. 21, 22 and 29 relate to the application for State support and the financial assessment of means. They propose to qualify requests for information by the HSE by stating that such reque...
The Department of Health and Children has undertaken that it will examine the whole area and there will be a review in three years to check whether there have been any problems. The Department will a...
I am unable to give such a broad commitment today. My understanding is that a list of all the items one must bring in regard to the application will be contained on the application form. Given that ...
I move amendment No. 23: In page 15, line 34, to delete “15 working days” and substitute “10 working days”.
Amendments Nos. 27 and 28 propose to remove the right of the HSE to appoint a suitable person to value assets and stipulate that any valuation must be undertaken by an independent third party. First,...
Generally, we expect the applicant’s valuation to be accepted. This amendment, which is a safeguard, will ensure that the HSE will pay for it if it disputes the applicant’s valuation. Deputy Reilly’...
The HSE will not seek a valuation unless there is a dispute about the application.
The matter will be reviewed by the financial review section.
Under Deputy Reilly’s amendment, we would have to meet every applicant’s costs.
The applicant would be able to make an appeal to the relevant officers in the financial review section.
They are on a panel appointed by the Minister.
The appeals officers, who will be appointed by the Minister, will settle any disputes in the financial review section.
I move amendment No. 30: In page 16, line 29, to delete “28 days” and substitute “40 working days”.
I move amendment No. 32: In page 16, lines 34 and 35, to delete “15 working days” and substitute “10 working days”.
I move amendment No. 34: In page 17, line 2, to delete “15 working days” and substitute “10 working days”.
I move amendment No. 35: In page 17, to delete lines 32 to 37. Amendments Nos. 35 and 48, which reflect commitments made to Deputy Reilly on Committee Stage, will remove the right of the HSE to cease ...
I move amendment No. 37: In page 19, lines 28 to 30, to delete all words from and including “and” in line 28 down to and including “relates,” in line 30. The purpose of amendment No. 37 is to ensure t...
If the regulations do not deal with that, such a couple will not be able to make an application.
I am informed that the regulations will deal with that.
The requirement to interpret what constitutes an interest in an asset could also render the scheme vulnerable for the following reason: if the HSE interprets an interest to refer only to a beneficial ...
In response to Deputy Connaughton, if the couple are not legal owners of the asset it is not taken into account in financial assessment.
The spouse who is not formally requesting the support because he or she does not have a legal interest does not have to pay and the State picks up the cost.
If they are a couple both members must apply even if only one is the legal owner of the asset.
If neither is?
Then there is nothing to take into account.
If they do not own the house and have no asset.
The definition of a couple is that they must live together.
The definition of “couple” is set out in section 4. Section 4(1) states: In this Act, “couple” means— (a) two persons married to each other, (b) a man and woman who are not married to each other but ...
Amendment No. 38 proposes to remove the right of the Minister to specify the periodic basis on which ancillary State support will be paid. This right is necessary, however, from a practical administr...
Question put.
Voted Yes
Adjournment Debate - Hospital Services.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to developing community-based services at local level. Government policy with re...
Adjournment Debate - Care of the Elderly.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s continued commitment to services for older people generally and, in particular, to the impo...
Adjournment Debate - Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. Pre-natal exposure to alcohol can ...
Adjournment Debate - Special Educational Needs.
I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O’Keeffe. I am pleased have the opportunity to clarify the position in regard to the...
Written Answers - Positive Ageing Strategy.
The commitment to develop a National Positive Ageing Strategy is set out in the Programme for Government 2007-2012 and is a key objective of my Office. The Government Decision of 17 January 2008 estab...
Written Answers - Health Services.
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. Question No. 189 answered with Question No. 154.
Written Answers - Care of the Elderly.
As the Deputy is aware Government policy in relation to older people is to support them to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is no...
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
| Last Updated: 07/10/2010 13:58:57 |
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