Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is entering further discussions and negotiations, but will the Government please bring some urgency to the matter and bring it to a conclusion? There have been negotiations for years with no constructive proposals put on the table. We need to get past that stage. In my view, the ongoing medical and personal needs of elderly residents are practically the same, regardless of where they reside.

It certainly does not make any sense to me to say that it costs 62% less in a private nursing home than it does in a public one. The reality is that this is just not sustainable for private operators and it is expecting them to perform a miracle. If the Taoiseach does not bring this matter to a conclusion and if it is not addressed successfully, the doors of private nursing homes in every town and village across Ireland will be forced to close. Public nursing homes will not be able to meet the demand for elderly care and we may then have a very serious issue. The most vulnerable members in our society will be those that will suffer. The Government must act urgently to correct the imbalance that currently exists.

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