Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nursing homes are pivotal and critical in changing the health landscape. They face challenges with the registration process. Deputy Ó Caoláin failed to recognise that, under the fair deal scheme, 200 beds have been freed up, 173 community beds have been freed up and 65 beds are being provided at Mount Carmel. That means that 238 new beds, as of today, have been provided. I know the Deputy will join with me in welcoming as part of the clearing of the backlog.

We need to have a debate on a wider level around the provision of retirement villages. I am familiar with two complexes in my constituency. The Lyons Club in Bishopstown has a retirement housing scheme and Aras Leon, or Lyon House, in Douglas provides independent living for people of a certain age. That raises a question in the context of the HIQA protocols to which Deputy Naughten referred regarding people with a disability and those under a certain age. We must think differently and be creative in how we can challenge each other to come up with different models of living for elderly people and for those with disabilities who can live in independent settings. The Government has provided €74 million in additional funding to provide long-term home care places and transitional care beds, which has not been acknowledged. Extra beds are being freed up. In welcoming this resolution, we need to invest in our nursing home sector and that means speaking to Nursing Home Ireland.

See this speech in context