Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I express my sincerest sympathy to the people of Türkiye and Syria on the humanitarian disaster that has befallen them. I thank the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Government, voluntary organisations and the general public for the massive outpouring of goodwill and generosity they are affording them. I thank the Taoiseach sincerely for his own reaction to this awful event. Today we have seen heartbreaking pictures, including a father with his recently deceased daughter in the middle of the rubble. It was truly heartbreaking to see these photographs and everybody will acknowledge this.

Very briefly I want to raise the issue of an alliance of small nursing homes that has approached me. It comprises 27 nursing homes. They are in rural communities. Six nursing homes have said that they really cannot see how they will be able to financially continue beyond July unless there is an immediate increase in their National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, rates. They are not part of Nursing Homes Ireland. They are smaller nursing homes which, as the Taoiseach knows, provide a great service in our communities.

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