Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement by the Government yesterday allowing visits to nursing homes from 22 March. This has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone in the country, but it has been most difficult for residents in nursing homes and their families, not being able to have the weekly visits and the comfort they would receive from family members. I welcome the fact visits will now go ahead. There has been an awful lot of talk about the vaccine roll-out and the challenges we as a country have had, but one of the successes we have certainly had has been the vaccination of everyone in nursing homes and their now being secure and safe places for residents and staff.

In terms of long-term residential care, I am beginning to see an upcoming issue relating to insurance costs. I spoke recently to a residential care provider in Tipperary who is in the process of renewing insurance and was quoted an increase of 130% on last year's premium. Last year, they paid €30,000 in insurance for their premises and this year they have been quoted €70,000. They now have to take out a loan to pay for their insurance costs.The insurance period for most residential care centres ends in June. The residential care centre to which I refer had no Covid-19 outbreak in the past year and no claims in the 20 years it has been operating yet there has been a 130% increase in its insurance costs. We can imagine what it will be like for all the residential care centres that have had Covid outbreaks and claims in previous years. We have seen what spiralling insurance costs have done to other sectors in recent years. We need to get on top of this issue as quickly as possible. The Minister should come into the House as a matter of urgency to outline how that will be rectified because an increase of 130% in insurance costs on any business, but particularly residential care centres, is not acceptable.