45 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Health the number of elderly people from the Republic who are currently in care in Northern Ireland due to shortage of accommodation in institutions and the lack of private nursing homes in the Republic. [24289/96]

Limerick East): It is not possible to quantify the number of elderly people from the Republic who are currently in care in Northern Ireland. However, as the Deputy may be aware, traditionally there has been movement of residents of the Border counties to and from nursing homes in Northern Ireland. This is due to a number of factors, including family relationships, convenience of location and personal choice and not, as suggested by the Deputy, due to a shortage of accommodation in health board long stay homes or private nursing homes.

In recognition of such movement, the Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, permit health boards to pay a subvention to a person whom it has determined as qualifying for a subvention in a nursing home in Northern Ireland which is a nursing home registered by a health and social services board.