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

I, too, thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this timely motion. We have all known for a long time that the nursing homes are in trouble. I acknowledge the presence of all the people in the Gallery, who include managers and staff from small nursing homes and Mr. Tadhg Daly who is in charge of the representative body. I also welcome Timmy Murphy from Brosna who, with his family, runs a number of small nursing homes in Dublin, Kildare and other places. These people are busy and would not be here only that they have a serious problem with funding. As has been said, they have to pay people on a Friday evening and make ends meet. It is very clear, as the Minister of State knows, that the public nursing homes are being funded to a greater extent. They receive almost 50% more and that cannot continue. I condemn the absence of the senior Minister who is not here this evening to hear this. He was here and he ran. He is gone putting labels on bottles or something that will get his name written into the history books.

Since 2020, 31 family nursing homes have closed. Many of them have been running at a loss since 2022. They are concerned about their viability. They face continuous problems recruiting and retaining experienced staff. We all know what happened during Covid-19 when the HSE robbed many small nursing homes of their staff. The fair deal scheme needs to be reviewed to ensure that private nursing homes can address the individual needs of patients who need much more attention and care. Ministers know that these private nursing homes are being paid almost 50% less. That cannot continue. It will be too late when they close. One has already closed in the Kilcummin area.

I thank all the nursing homes in Kerry. Close to me, we have St. Joseph's nursing home in Kenmare, and the Tír na nÓg and Our Lady of Lourdes nursing homes. We have the Willow Brooke home in Castleisland. I thank the staff working in the St. Columbanus home in Killarney and those providing long-stay beds in the community hospital in Kenmare.

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