Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to add to the Chair's remarks in a welcoming Councillor Kiely and the guests from Limerick. It is lovely to see them in the Gallery.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to discuss this all-important issue. I acknowledge the work she has done in this area and also the staff who work in nursing homes. Given the situation with Covid, we are coming out of a very difficult time and we must acknowledge the work that staff put in with regard to nursing home care and looking after people. Many people were perhaps bedridden so staff needed to go that extra mile.

Nursing homes went through very difficult times, which I acknowledge. I also compliment Tadhg Daly and his team in Nursing Homes Ireland as I know they have been very much to the forefront in highlighting the different issues that nursing homes are facing. It is frightening to think that at least 18 nursing homes have closed down since 2019, and Senator Gavan referred to one closing in Limerick recently. Nursing homes, especially smaller, family-run nursing homes with less than 40 beds, create a great community and as they are family-run businesses, they develop a relationship with the people who are in their care.

It is not just older people who are in nursing homes. A friend of mine ended up in a nursing home for almost five years before she passed away, and she was in her 30s. She had a very rare form of dementia at the time. I used to go out to visit her every week and I saw the care and attention that she and her family received. It was very sad because she had very young children and her husband and family would not have coped only for the care and attention she received in the nursing home. It was a smaller nursing home and she was like part of the family there.

I understand that extra supports are not available in some situations. Some people need more care than others, in particular people with dementia. My understanding is that extra funding is not given to nursing homes to look after people who, unfortunately, end up with dementia.

I see my time is up. I compliment the Minister of State. As a final point, there needs to be equality in terms of the payment to public and private nursing homes.