Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to see this Bill come forward. It has much to do with the Minister of State's progress since taking office. When we talk about farming, we are often limited in what we can say and do within the parameters of EU rules and regulations, often to the detriment of farming communities. However, with the fair deal scheme we cannot blame others or pass the buck on the treatment of farmers. Successive Governments have been solely responsible for this unequal treatment of farmers and it is welcome that steps are finally being made to level the fair deal playing field. I will attribute that to the Minister of State.

The nursing home support scheme is a vital State support, which ensures those in need of care are able to avail of it in an affordable way but up to now for farmers and farm families it could better be described as the "unfair deal". It has been an unfair deal because farmers have been expected to pay higher contributions for their care than others. The scheme in its design did not take into account the unique situation in which farmers found themselves. The 7.5% contribution from the value of assets towards the cost of care is capped for all other sectors but not capped for farmers. That means if a farmer had been in long-term care, as Deputy Fitzpatrick said, for 14 years, then the farm could actually be lost. It is not just the farm. In most cases, family farms, farmed for decades, are passed down generation after generation. The Bill is, therefore, very welcome. It is a step in the right direction but even its passing will leave some outstanding issues to be addressed. Members of the farming community have shared with me their continuing concerns. The demands made by the Bill are quite restrictive. The successor is tied to farming the land for six years after the client enters the nursing home. It places a heavy burden on the successor who will still have to commit to paying fees of up to €200,000 over the initial three-year period.

We must remember that a farm is a working asset and if the farmer has to sell land to make payments, we hurt their ability and the ability of future generations of the family to make a living from the farm. The average farm income is well below what we would call an industrial wage. It could be as little as €24,000 when the annual nursing home charge can be between €50,000 and €60,000. Farms will be mortgaged to meet care payments, which will restrict the ability of farmers to borrow for farm development or machinery and other related capital expenditure necessary for progress. I appeal to the Minister of State to examine ways to address this.

Life expectancy has steadily increased. In 1950, life expectancy in Ireland was approximately 65 years. Now, thankfully, it is approximately 82 years and projected to continue rising. As people are likely to live for longer, it stands to reason that the average time spent in long-term care is also likely to increase. This will affect people in every walk of life but I believe it will have the greatest effect on farmers and their families. We must be proactive in preparing for it.

I will support the Bill as it is a step in the right direction that will make a positive difference to farmers and farm families who find themselves in these situations. However, I hope the Government will take on board the issues I have raised and that were raised with me by the farming community and take the steps necessary to solve the problems. I acknowledge the input of Alice Doyle from the IFA in Wexford, as well as the nursing staff in our nursing homes who have been under severe pressure because of Covid, just like all the front-line staff, who have, in most cases, done a stellar job.

Finally, I endorse the point that there are many small nursing homes. Deputy Canney spoke about how bed funding is allocated to different nursing homes. It is a significant issue in Wexford. In Wicklow, €250 more is paid for a nursing home bed. I have looked into why that is the case but have not been able to come up with an answer.

See this speech in context