Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman and will focus on the fair deal aspect of this Bill. Fianna Fáil will support this Bill, which makes necessary changes in a number of areas. I specifically wish to speak on the provision for the amendment of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 to exclude certain ex gratiapayments, which in the future will be made to individuals under specific schemes approved by the Government for the purpose of assessment of means under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. Part 3 of the Bill seeks to amend the aforementioned Act. The nursing home support scheme, also known as the fair deal scheme, provides for financial support for people who need long-term nursing home care. Those who use the scheme make a contribution towards the cost of their care and the State pays the balance. The amount paid by each person is determined by a financial means assessment. The 2009 Act has been amended in the past to exclude from financial means assessment ex gratiapayments from the Magdalen laundry redress scheme and this Bill provides that ex gratiapayments from other redress schemes will also be excluded from any assessment, which Fianna Fáil supports.

However, I am disappointed that while there have been media reports about family farms being treated differently under the fair deal scheme in the future, there is no mention of it in this Bill. As matters stand at present, if the owner of a family farm must enter a nursing home and is still the owner of that family farm or has only transferred it within the past five years, the entire value of that family farm is taken into account under the fair deal scheme calculations. In the case of a principal family residence, the contribution is capped at 7.5% per annum for three years, that is, 22.5% in total, and I believe this should be done for family farms as well. It is completely unfair and puts family farms at a serious disadvantage. There must be recognition that a family farm is simply a means of providing a livelihood for that family and not having a cap on the value of that farm for the fair deal scheme is completely unfair. While something may be done in this regard as part of next week's budget, it was remiss of the Government not to include such a provision in this Bill and Fianna Fáil seeks its consideration in the future.

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