Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asks a pertinent and important question as to what a family should do today where a decision is being made in respect of an elderly relative or what a person should decide as to whether he or she should enter a nursing home himself or herself. Are they going to delay a decision because there has been commentary in the news about changes to the scheme such that it will not be as severe or punitive financially? There is no gain for anyone in delaying entering nursing home care as there will be a retrospective aspect to the legislation. At whatever stage in 2019 the legislation is enacted by the Houses and signed by the President, we will apply it retrospectively to anyone who is already in a nursing home. People will have to pay for three years anyway. As such, a person debating about going into a nursing home or waiting for a change, should of course go in. I hope that any older person will make that decision as soon as care is necessitated because he or she will, in any event, have to meet the 7.5% contribution for three years. We can presume with reasonable confidence that this legislation will be well wrapped up within that three years. It will apply then to anyone who has been within the system for three years. While there will be no recoupment for those who have been in there for seven years and we will not be giving any money back, anyone who comes into the system or who is one, two or three years into their phase will see the recoupment stop after three years. As such, there is no financial benefit to anyone in delaying the decision to go into a nursing home.