Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There has been huge expansion in the nursing home programme over the years, particularly in terms of the nursing home support programme. Approximately 80% of all nursing homes are private and 20% are under the HSE, which we call community nursing units. The State is allocating approximately €1.4 billion per year to support approximately 22,000 nursing home residents and that has seen a strong increase over the past two years in particular.

During Covid-19, an additional €144 million was allocated to nursing homes. That cannot be dismissed. It was a significant intervention by the State, correctly, to underpin nursing homes in respect of the challenges that Covid-19 undoubtedly presented to them. All Deputies know the details of that intervention.

The cases of residents in community nursing homes are more complex. We should not dismiss the difference. The cases are more complex by definition and there are more staff in community nursing units. That said, we acknowledge the issues and challenges because the private nursing home sector is going through some change, with regard to financial underpinning of larger nursing homes, in the sense that large organisations are coming in and smaller and community-based nursing homes are feeling the pressure. That is acknowledged and we accept it.

That is why a significant package is being discussed and will be implemented, the announcement of which is imminent, for nursing homes to deal with the inflationary cost increases they are experiencing. Substantial funding is being made available to the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, to do so. Discussions have been taking place with nursing home organisations. It will help to deal with the inflationary pressures that nursing homes undoubtedly face. The temporary assistance payment scheme will also continue to the end of the year.

There have been a number of reviews of the pricing mechanism and that is the subject matter of negotiations. The National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, under legislation that was passed quite a number of years ago, is the body delegated to arbitrate on price for nursing homes. An outcome is also imminent to get that resolved. We acknowledge that needs resolution but legislation passed in this House has ordained that be done through an independent mechanism, namely, the NTPF.

Changes are going on in the dynamic within the private nursing home sector and senior care. The allocation to home-based care will grow and the nature and duration of stay or residency in a nursing home will change in the time ahead.

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