Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Cathaoirleach will forgive me for sounding like I am in a time warp but it has been a year since the Covid-19 bonus recognition payment for front-line workers was announced. Unfortunately private nursing home staff and a lot of non-HSE staff have yet to receive the €1,000 bonus payment at this stage. We know that a third party was responsible for managing the payment system but there does not seem to be any clear timeline in sight as to when these people, who have been waiting for over a year, will be paid. They were hoping they would have the money for Christmas but they still do not have their recognition payment.

This is a reflection of how a lot of private nursing homes are feeling at the moment. I know this because I work closely with some of them in my constituency. They are fantastic centres providing great support to families. The Government has given what seems like an eye-watering amount of money to nursing homes over the last two or three years. The temporary assistance payment scheme, TAPS, expired at the end of last year but the Minister is looking at the possibility of extending it further. We also had the temporary inflation payment scheme, TIPS, to provide support for energy costs. We also have the fair deal scheme, which is backed up by €1 billion. However, the truth of the matter is that nursing homes are still under severe pressure, particularly with regard to staffing and the retention of staff. There is fierce competition for staff and they are also dealing with inflation and increased costs for care. I welcome the fact that the Minister is looking at this because a lot of nursing homes are under severe pressure and need to find sustainable solutions to meet the increasingly complex care needs of those they care for on our behalf.