Application approvals for Fair Deal scheme fall 25%

There was a 25% drop in the rate of applications approved under the Fair Deal scheme last year.

In a written Dáil reply to Tom Fleming (Ind), Dr James Reilly, the health minister, said 7,959 applications were approved last year, representing 75% of the 10,671 applications processed.

This compares to a 100% grant rate in 2010 and 2009 when 11,862 and 1,627 were granted respectively.

The nursing home support scheme was established in 2009 as a means of funding long-term care for the elderly.

In 2011, the HSE budgeted to spend €963m on the initiative and expects to spend €994m this year. Figures to the end of April show the budget on the scheme is €10m under-budget, with €249m spent.

Last year, 2,712 applications were withdrawn and 1,358 to the end of April.

Eamon Timmins, director of advocacy with Age Action, asked what has happened to those who have withdrawn applications.

“Did they receive care under the new intermediate care programme or are they back at home being cared for by family members? Or did they receive home care packages?

“We can presume that anyone who applied for a nursing home bed under the Fair Deal must have considerable nursing needs. If they were refused a bed, how are these needs now being met?”

A Department of Health spokeswoman said “there is nobody on the placement list waiting for funding to be approved at present”.

A HSE spokeswoman said: “Given the relatively short time from during which the scheme has been in existence, it is not possible to make accurate deductions at this stage comparing year-on-year figures.”