S.I. No. 256 of 2009

NURSING HOMES SUPPORT SCHEME ACT 2009 (COMMENCEMENT) (CERTAIN PROVISIONS) ORDER 2009

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 7th July, 2009.

I, MARY HARNEY, Minister for Health and Children, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 2 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 , hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 (Commencement) (Certain Provisions) Order 2009.

2. In this Order "Act of 2009" means the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 (No. 15 of 2009).

3. The 3 day of July 2009 is appointed as the day on which the following provisions of the Act of 2009 come into operation:

(a) the definitions of "approved nursing home" and "long-term residential care services" in section 3 in so far as those definitions relate to-

(i) section 40 of the Act of 2009, and

(ii) the National Treatment Purchase Fund Board (Establishment) Order 2004 ( S.I. No. 179 of 2004 ) (as amended by section 41 of the Act of 2009), and

(b) sections 40 and 41.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

3 July 2009

MARY HARNEY.

Minister for Health and Children.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The effect of this Order is to commence sections 40 and 41 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 to enable the National Treatment Purchase Fund to negotiate and agree prices with private nursing home owners for the purposes of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. It also commences the definitions of "approved nursing home" and "long-term residential care services" for the purposes of those sections. The Nursing Homes Support Scheme is a scheme of financial support for people in need of long-term residential care.