Dáil debates

Wednesday, 19 May 2021

Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed)

 

4:17 pm

Photo of Carol NolanCarol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm labhairt faoin reachtaíocht seo. Tá an reachtaíocht seo fíorthábhachtach agus ba liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit Butler as ucht an tsárobair a rinne sí chun na hathruithe a bhaineann leis an reachtaíocht seo a chur chun cinn. Ba mhaith liom é sin a rá go poiblí.

On 7 April, I welcomed the Minister of State, Deputy Butler's, confirmation that the Attorney General had provided a measure of legal certainty about the fair deal reforms, which are so badly needed. We know that, the length and breadth of the country, many farming families and small businesses have really struggled to make ends meet. I acknowledge and commend one man in particular, a farmer from Kilcormac in County Offaly, in my constituency, Joe Carroll, who led from the front on this issue. Joe had his own personal reasons and story and a significant struggle over the years. He played a major part in ensuring this issue was brought to the fore, in campaigning for fairness and to ensure we are where we are today. I hope the rest will progress quickly. It needs to. We cannot leave farming families and small businesses waiting a day longer. We need to get this over the line. I hope that will be done. To date, in fairness, promises have been delivered on.

Until recently, the HSE was providing financial support in respect of more than 23,300 individuals within the scheme. This gives some sense of how urgent the reforms are. We also know the HSE reported that this support amounted to €969 million, including some €51 million in the form of loans to residents to assist them in paying their contributions. The HSE also estimates that an additional €343 million was paid directly to nursing homes in 2018, in the form of residents' contributions. Those contributions have to be seen in the context of the motion tabled on the fair deal scheme by the Rural Independent Group in May 2017. At that time, the Rural Independent Group pointed out that family farms make a vital contribution to growth and employment in rural areas, forming the backbone of our rural economy. It is estimated that farm families spend €8 billion per year in the Irish economy, most of which is spent locally, supporting local jobs and local enterprises. This is clearly not just a sensitive area with regard to addressing people's care needs but also a significant economic issue, with almost 550 nursing homes involved in providing care under this scheme.

On the proposals before us, I share the concerns about the lack of capacity for the reforms to be made retrospective. We have seen that the Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, has described this move as a scandal. The ICSA rightly points out that the three year cap was approved by Government in 2019 and that any calculation over the three years should apply from back then. I ask the Minister of State to look at that aspect to see if this can be applied retrospectively. I believe it is the right and fair thing to do. We have to end up with a system that is more just and equitable than the current arrangement. To that end, I hope to continue to engage constructively with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and others so that goals to that effect can be achieved.

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