Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The majority of long-term residential nursing home care on the island is provided by the private and voluntary sector. We all know that. As Ireland's population continues to age, the demand for nursing home care is increasing. Ireland's ageing population is rising faster than any other European country. The changing demographics provide the single biggest challenge to the sector and the services. Despite these challenges, the Government is not listening. Indeed, the Central Statistics Office, CSO, pointed this out clearly but the Government is not listening to the CSO either. Tá an dá chluas dúnta. It is crucial to address the challenges facing the nursing home sector to ensure the availability of quality care for older adults.

The reported stated that since 2020, there have been at least 31 closures of private and voluntary nursing homes, resulting in the loss of 915 beds for elderly people needing care. In this country, 17 nursing homes closed in 2022 alone. These closures have created concerns around accessibility and availability of nursing home care, and especially for those who require specialised services and support. The viability of operating nursing homes in Ireland is becoming increasingly untenable due to rising costs and the cost of everything associated with the cost of living, the cost of heating, and inflation.

In all sectors across the country, the Government has gotten into bed with big business. The same is happening with nursing homes where the Government wants to support the big companies and funders from China and God knows where else, perhaps Timbuktu. There will be a time when some of the Ministers of State will go off to Timbuktu and maybe stay there. The Minister has gone already, we hope to Timbuktu, because he would not listen to us anyway. We ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to please act on this. These are mainly family run nursing homes. They have dedicated their lives to personal service, as have their husbands, partners and siblings, over the years.

They love to care. They want to give and want to look after our loved ones. We are all facing death sooner than we may think down the line so please support the family-run and voluntary nursing homes. The discrimination against them and the disparity in pay or remuneration the State gives to the private and family nursing homes compared with the big HSE ones is disgraceful. I hope somebody will take a challenge to that in Europe because it beggars belief to have such discrimination perpetrated by our Government.

See this speech in context