Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

These amendments relate to the treatment of rental income under the fair deal nursing homes scheme, which is something that all colleagues have worked on to ensure that we can assist with properties that remain empty due to citizens being in the fair deal scheme, so that there is no disincentive or to reduce the disincentive that is there to actually rent out the properties should the families decide to do so.

These amendments relate to the treatment of rental income specifically. They bring into effect the commitment, and the Government's commitment, under Housing for All to remove disincentives against rental or vacant properties by participating in the fair deal scheme in a way that is targeted, equitable, evidence-based and provides for appropriate safeguards for vulnerable older people.

Amendment No. 54 provides for the change to the assessment methodology within the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act. It enables eligible rental income to be assessed at 40% rather than the current 80%, which is a very significant change. This supports the Government's policy intention, which as I said is to incentivise the rental of homes owned by participants in this scheme that otherwise may remain vacant. Subsections 1 and 2 relate to Part 1(a) and 2 of the Schedule to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, which sets out the new relevant steps. This will be reviewed after three or six months after we see how the scheme operates at the 40% level.

Amendments Nos. 49 and 50 are consequential amendments to make necessary changes to the definition of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, which relate to rental income.

Amendment No. 51 creates a requirement for the HSE to report annually on the impact of the policy change. The amendment sets out the specific items and pieces of information that the report should cover. The report will be submitted to the Minister for Health. This will ensure that the Government obtains an accurate picture of the ongoing impact of the policy measure. Similar provisions have been put in place with previous changes in the nursing homes support scheme.

Separate from the annual report established by the last amendment, amendment No. 52 sets out a requirement for a review of the scheme to be carried out after the policy change has been in operation for six months so that will be the end of this year. The review will be submitted to the Minister not later than three months at the end of that six-month period and will be laid before the Oireachtas.

Amendment No. 53 allows the Government, based on that review, to further lower the rate at which rental income is assessed for the purpose of the nursing homes support scheme. The amendment also gives the power to the Government, on receipt of the review required by amendment No. 52, to request a further review to be made.

These are significant changes that we hope will free up vacant properties where people are participating in the fair deal scheme.