Government hit over plan to divert elderly care fund

THE Government has come under a storm of criticism following its instructions to the Health Service Executive (HSE) to divert millions of euro earmarked for a new scheme to fund nursing home care.

Opposition parties yesterday accused the Government of being responsible for the debacle which has emerged surrounding the introduction of the new scheme to subsidise nursing home care for the elderly.

The HSE had set aside €110m to be spent on implementing its so-called “fair deal” which will replace the existing subvention scheme by levying charges on nursing home residents and their estates.