Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question. This is a conversation we have had across this floor several times in recent years. I welcomed the recent ESRI report on long-term residential care in Ireland and developments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report articulated an awful lot of what we already knew about the challenges facing the long-term residential care sector. The Government continues to address these to provide short-term stability and then long-term growth to this sector.

The ESRI report highlighted long-term residential care supply and care bed ownership. It stated that the private, for-profit sector was driven my new entries into the market financed by international private equity funds. We have 15 companies that now control 10,700 beds. That is one side. On the other side, we have family-run, community-based, voluntary nursing homes that are predominantly located in rural areas and towns and villages. These homes are struggling. The matter is very concerning because 22 or 25 years ago, 80% of nursing home care was run by the State, with the remaining 20% private. That ratio has flipped completely. I am trying to support nursing homes, especially smaller homes. Last year, for example, over 180 nursing homes renegotiated the deals they have, which has resulted in an increase in funding of between 6% and 7%. They can now negotiate yearly as well, which is much more helpful as regards the fees they are receiving.

Before Christmas, I was delighted to put out to public consultation a design guide for long-term residential care settings for older people. Under this, when a private operator, the State or the voluntary sector applies to build or extend a nursing home, it must have a pre-planning meeting with HIQA in advance of applying for planning permission.

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