Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith linn. Is léir ó na ráitis go dtí seo gur ábhar thar a bheith tábhachtach é seo mar gheall ar na fáthanna uilig atá luaite ag achan duine. I am deputising today on behalf of my colleague, Senator Máire Devine, who is out of the country on parliamentary business.

The 2016 census figures show a huge and rapid rise in the number of people aged over 65 in the State. This rise poses great challenges but Sinn Féin believes we should see improved health and longevity as an opportunity as well as a challenge, celebrating and enabling the contribution older people make to our communities.

I have with me today a comprehensive document prepared by my party which outlines how we believe older people should be looked after on the island of Ireland. I welcome the statements here today on the fair deal scheme, which is an important issue for our older population. A positive aspect of the scheme is that if a person qualifies for a nursing home place, the State is legally obliged to ensure he or she gets a bed. It is important to say that it is essential that people are supported in long-term residential care and that the highest standards are maintained, as has been advocated by all the previous speakers. Funding for beds is absolutely vital and is an important aspect of any overall strategy for caring for our older population. The cost of one’s care depends on one's income and assets. An individual contributes 80% of their assessable income and a maximum of 7.5% of the value of any assets per year towards the cost of care. The 7.5% per annum contribution applies for the duration of an individual’s stay in the nursing home except where a three-year cap applies to the applicant’s principal residence. This practice unfairly affects those with small land holdings, such as farms and small businesses, whose land and assists are charged for the entire duration of their stay in care. Their assists often become unsustainable which greatly impacts on their relatives. We have heard some personal testimony on the financial and material impact coupled with the emotional and psychological impact of having a loved one in care at a time of illness.

I absolutely welcome that in the past few weeks the Minister of State gave a commitment to introduce a change to the fair deal scheme that would mean a three-year cap on the charge on productive farm assets. This change in the scheme would make a great difference to small business owners and farmers and their families.

The fair deal scheme only covers the basic needs of residents, which includes a bed, food, nursing assistance and nursing aids and a laundry service. If a patient requires any additional care or services, the nursing home must charge them. For example, residents are being charged for toiletries, prescription charges and transport costs among other things. Perhaps more seriously, patients must also pay for all therapies, social programmes and chiropody, despite having already paid for their care under the fair deal contribution. This is happening despite the fact that medical card holders are entitled to receive a number of services and therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and wound dressing free of charge from the HSE. This is blatantly forcing elderly people, many of whom are vulnerable, to pay twice for their care.This is clearly an unfair system. All services required by elderly people living in nursing homes should be covered by the contribution paid by residents and calculated under the scheme. I urge the Minister of State to address this issue specifically in any future changes to the fair deal scheme.

It has been suggested that the fair deal scheme should be extended to include home supports. Sinn Féin does not believe this is the way forward. The fair deal scheme was designed specifically for long-term residential care. Home supports, although inadequate and underfunded, are provided free of charge based on an assessment of need. Sinn Féin believes these supports should continue to be provided on that basis.

We need to urgently move to a rights-based system whereby vulnerable citizens can receive long-term care in their home in the community when needed and thereby reduce the reliance on acute hospital beds and long-term nursing home care. We also need to move towards a fairer deal nursing home scheme, whereby elderly people do not have to pay twice for their care and smaller business owners and farmers do not pay disproportionate amounts for their nursing home care.

This is what Sinn Féin believes and we have communicated this with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, previously. We hope he takes those suggestions on board with the sincerity in which they are offered.