Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House to take this debate.

The fair deal scheme was introduced on the basis of the core principle that long-term care should be affordable and that a person should receive the same level of support, whether he or she chooses a public, voluntary or private nursing home. The scheme was envisaged as enabling people in need of long-term nursing care and their families to access such care in a timely and cost-effective manner. It should be acknowledged that the fair deal scheme benefits a significant number of older people and is a considerable improvement on the level of support available under the previous subvention scheme.

We need to see an increase in the funding for the fair deal scheme which I understand stands at approximately €963 million. There is a cost argument as we are spending too much money in keeping qualified persons in hospital beds. However, there is also a compassion argument which is more important and compelling. It is costing taxpayers more than €500,000 a day, or €4 million a week, to keep qualifying persons in hospital beds, waiting for funding for a fair deal scheme nursing home bed. There are 2,135 people waiting just over 15 weeks for approval under the scheme. While that number fluctuates, the overall statistics point to a fourfold increase in waiting list numbers since January 2014, when some 500 people were on the list for an average period of just four weeks. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the increased waiting time in processing fair deal scheme applications is a contributory factor in the overcrowding crisis in accident and emergency departments in recent times.

It is a very emotional time for a family when they have to move a loved one into a nursing home; it is never an easy time. However, the current position is compounding the problem as the funding caps under the scheme are impacting on the processing time for applications and the waiting time for a suitable permanent placement. In summary, the funding cap placed on the fair deal scheme is adding to the crisis in accident and emergency departments, which is having a knock-on effect for patients, families and the overall cost of running the health service. It is my considered view that the fair deal scheme needs to be demand-led.

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