Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This motion is about trying to help a sector that we all know is in deep trouble. At the gates of Leinster House last week, I met many managers and owners of nursing homes. They did not come here because there were minor problems. They came here because there were serious issues, which have resulted in many smaller nursing homes being unable to survive on the payments known as the fair deal scheme. I am not sure what is fair about it. It is not very fair if it does not provide for people.

Constituents and families are contacting us about people they have in nursing homes who need specialist pieces of equipment, for example, waterbeds, special chairs and the like. They have to pay for that equipment themselves in addition to what they already pay because there is no provision to take care of it.

There are major issues with nursing homes across the country. The Minister mentioned the small number of closures among smaller nursing homes, including small family businesses. That may be the case, but it still means we are losing beds and places of care that people need. This is the issue. As more places are lost, it puts more pressure on the hospital system, which we will be discussing with the Minister in the Chamber next week or the week after because there are such large waiting lists in accident and emergency departments and people cannot get out of hospital beds, given that there are no nursing home beds for them to go to. One thing not working has an impact on everything else. We need to recognise that one of the key aspects of our health service has to be the provision of adequate nursing home beds across the country. That is not the case currently, and we need to address that.

It has been said that, if we were starting again, we might not opt for this exact system, but we have to make it work. We have to be able to deliver for everyone who needs a bed and a place to live. Most of us will end up in a nursing home some day as we approach the end of our lives. There are 600,000 pensioners in Ireland. In 25 years’ time, it is said that there will be more than 1 million pensioners in Ireland. As that number grows, the care needs of those people will grow as well. We will have to provide for those adequately. The State has a responsibility to step up to the mark in response.

Saying that it is somehow the large nursing homes’ responsibility to carry the weight does not let the Minister off the hook. He has to provide for people. Who we are speaking on behalf of are not nursing home providers as such, but the patients and their families, who will be under stress until these issues are resolved. The Minister needs to step up to the mark and resolve them.

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