Seanad debates

Thursday, 15 July 2021

Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage

 

9:30 am

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and this legislation. The Minister of State will recall that Senator Chambers and I brought a Commencement matter to the Seanad in April regarding this much-needed legislation on the fair deal scheme. At that point, she made a very firm commitment to honouring farming families and I sincerely thank her for that. This update of the fair deal legislation to enhance protections for farmers and business owners has been a priority for her since she took office just over 12 months ago. I sincerely hope that this Bill receives cross-party support so that these hugely important changes can be delivered without delay.

The increase in home care hours and supports that encourage older people to live at home as opposed to going into nursing homes is most welcome. Again, that is something on which the Minister of State has worked very hard and is fully committed to. Nursing home care, however, is crucial for many older people and their families. The peace of mind in knowing that their loved one is being take care of and is receiving the help and care they need is a huge weight off many families' shoulders. It is vitally important that the State supports that in cases where it is needed.

One would think because of the name that the fair deal scheme is fair but, currently, it is not. It is not fair to small business owners and farming families who currently risk losing a family farm or their small family business should a loved one need to access the scheme. The current 7% annual levy is a major disincentive to these families and is preventing those who may need nursing home care from accessing it. This is why it is so crucial that we have the changes the Minister of State is putting forward in this Bill. The change to the scheme proposed by the Minister of State, which is to cap financial contributions based on farm and business assets at three years where a family successor commits to working the asset, is a massive step in the right direction. This will provide a huge sense of relief for many farming families and business owners.

We all want to see our loved ones receiving the highest quality of care that they can. We want to see them enjoying the highest quality of life possible for as long as possible. This Bill absolutely supports that. Nursing homes are not the right setting for everyone. Many people want to stay in their own homes for as long as they can and if they are physically and mentally capable of doing so we should support them in that. However, when, or if, the time comes that people require nursing home care, they need to be able to access care quickly and in a cost-effective manner. This Bill will allow many people to do that.

Fianna Fáil warmly welcomes this Bill for which there was a firm commitment in our manifesto. When the Minister of State spoke as an Opposition Deputy she was a very strong advocate of bringing this legislation forward so it is really terrific to see her acting on it once she was in a position to do so. Not alone is this change important for those who need to access nursing home care, it is essential to the viability and sustainability of family farms as it allows them to be passed down to the next generation. Again, it ensures that the fair deal scheme is fairer, more accessible and more affordable. This is a very emotive issue for farm families in communities throughout the country. I want to raise two other issues. I thank the Minister of State for the work she has been doing with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. It is great to see day care centres starting to reopen, but it is very difficult for the centres dealing specifically with patients with Alzheimer's disease to do so. Could a fund be put in place to accommodate them? I appreciate that only a certain percentage of facilities are dedicated purely to the care of people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Nevertheless, a fund needs to be established to ensure they can reopen as quickly as possible.

The housing adaptation grant scheme needs to be streamlined and made reflective of current building costs. There must be an effort to reduce the large amount of red tape for people who need to access the grants to stay in their homes.

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