Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The closure of nursing homes can put pressure on other local health and social care facilities. It is vital that the welfare of residents is ensured. The Deputy spoke about the concerns he has about the Cork region, but the fair deal scheme has to work and support 22,700 elderly and vulnerable people who, at a very difficult time in families' lives, may need nursing home care. I have to ensure that the budget does not run out in October or November. There was a situation a few years ago when access to the fair deal scheme took between eight and 12 weeks because the budget was not there. I will not let that happen. When somebody applies for the scheme now, when all the papers are in place and all the details documents are there, we are turning it around in four weeks. The Deputy spoke about not being able to find beds for people but transitional care funding is in place. Last year, it was used 10,000 times to support people who need to leave an acute level 3 or level 4 hospital and find a bed someplace else. In January and February this year, that fund has been allocated several thousand times. The budget for that is substantial.

The Department published a review of the NTPF in June 2021. Its review of the pricing system found it was carried out in long-term residential care facilities under the oversight of a steering group, with representation from various Departments and agencies. The group made four recommendations: the formal assessment of using a formulaic approach in the pricing system; the formal assessment of amending the approach to the assessment of local market price to reflect prices in other nursing homes within a certain distance; engagement by the NTPF with nursing homes and their representatives on enhancing the internal NTPF review process; and amendment of the process for allowing for high-dependency residents where the necessary systems are in place.

The Deputy asked if I would meet with the group that adjudicates on price increases. As I and the Deputy understand, neither I, the Minister nor the Department has any role to play in the amount of money negotiated between the NTPF and any private nursing home that is providing support for older people. As I understand it, engagement continues between the private provider referenced in the details supplied and the NTPF.

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