Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The future sustainability of private and voluntary nursing homes across the country is a rapidly growing concern. Owners and operators of nursing homes are struggling to stay afloat. Many see no way forward. I have received numerous calls and correspondence from nursing homes across County Tipperary. All are desperate for support to save their businesses. They are not making extravagant demands; they are simply seeking equality with public nursing homes.

This is a national issue. The kernel of the problem is the discrimination by the State under the fair deal scheme in the resourcing of private, as opposed to public, nursing home resident care. At present, public nursing homes receive 62% more per resident per week than what is available to pay for the care of an elderly person in a private nursing home. Private nursing home owners are being tasked with doing the impossible and a growing number are holding on by their fingertips in the hope that their voices will finally be heard.

Private nursing homes are providing elderly care for fees of up to €700 per week per resident, less than the amount allocated to their public counterparts. It does not take a genius to see that, from a business perspective, there is no future for private nursing homes in Ireland if this alarming discrepancy is not addressed urgently.

There is also a significant differential in pay for HSE and private and voluntary health care assistants. Approximately one in every two employees in nursing homes are healthcare assistants. The pay differential is unfair and compounds the problem. Private nursing homes are losing staff to better paid jobs in the HSE and elsewhere. Staff in private nursing homes are outstanding.

They are under enormous pressure. Their patients are treated like family members. Staff give the patients professional care and attention. These staff deserve to have their work properly valued.

Negotiations have been ongoing for years, but the discussions are going around in circles. They are unending and unproductive. I spoke to one nursing home owner who was recently forced to put €90,000 of borrowed money into their business for it to survive. Last week, I visited another loss-making home which is now dependent on the religious congregation to support the nursing home financially. The financial loss is growing to such an extent that the congregation cannot make up that loss indefinitely. They have spoken about the current and ongoing rises in the costs of heat, electricity and food. They are simply unable to absorb the increased costs of those necessities in the private sector. Private nursing homes must provide the same level of complex care many elderly residents require. Public nursing homes have specialised needs provided at no cost by the HSE, while private operators must pay for services such as chiropody, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and even basic medical equipment.

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