Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State very much for his response and he has explained the rationale as to why what I describe as an exemption has been provided to the private nursing home sector for non-EEA healthcare assistants and home support workers. I accept the Minister of State's good faith and bona fides here. We engaged on this in another context in this Chamber last week.

From the media coverage surrounding this, it seems to me that Nursing Homes Ireland made the case that private operators simply cannot afford to meet this new €30,000 salary threshold if they do not get more money from the fair deal scheme. How have the Minister of State and his officials in the Department been satisfied that is the case? Has that claim been independently verified or has it just been taken at face value? How has the Department been satisfied that is the case? This is an exemption that does not apply to any other economic sectors which are required to meet higher salary thresholds from this month?

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