Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Minister replays his multiple mom and pop statements later. Has he listened to any of the people in the Public Gallery who are telling him that they are losing beds and their sector is in trouble?

I welcome the chance to speak on this issue because it has been clear for some time that, as the population has aged, the cost of doing business has increased and the funding model has continued, the sector is facing challenges that need to be addressed urgently.

Back in April, representatives of a number of smaller nursing homes, including a significant number in my county of Tipperary, got together and briefed members of this House on the situation they find themselves in. Smaller nursing homes are suffering. As those nursing home representatives said to us a couple of months ago, it disregards the rights of people needing private nursing home care not to have access to an appropriate cost-of-care model. This can deny them access to a facility in their locality or general area.

In 2021, HIQA pointed out that the single fee payable by the nursing home support scheme does not provide funding based solely on the care needs of the older person. That was in the value-for-money review of nursing home care costs. There is no interpretation needed here because it is as clear as day.

I will read from correspondence I received recently from the family of a man who is 94 and a half years old. He is described as a "kind, gentle, softly spoken man and dad". He has been in Beaumont Residential Care for the past four months purely because his physical care needs increased. He was an extremely hard working, conscientious engineer in his day and had responsibility for some of the largest factory plants in Munster. When the day came that he needed nursing home care, his first preference was Beaumont Residential Care because over previous years he had visited people there. He liked the feel and the setting of the home and his friends were happy there so it was a no-brainer when it came time to choose a nursing home. It is incomprehensible to him that at this stage of his life there is a viable threat to his home. He does not want to move. Why should he? This is an appalling situation visited on him and many others through no fault of their own. It is inhumane for elderly people to have the threat of no bed and for the situation to have been allowed to get to this impasse. The writer asks that someone listens to the family members speaking on behalf of residents and gives them peace of mind. The Government is not opposing this motion, but for Christ's sake, for once it must act.

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