Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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711. To ask the Minister for Health the totality of the amount drawn down of the temporary inflation payment scheme by the nursing home sector to date. [58003/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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712. To ask the Minister for Health if smaller operators in the nursing home sector can draw down the ceiling amount claimable each month in the context of the temporary inflation payment scheme. [58004/22]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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713. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of the temporary inflation payment scheme that is available per resident to the nursing home service provider. [58005/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 713 together.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) currently supports over 22,500 residents in approximately 550 nursing homes across the State. The nursing home sector has changed in recent decades from a predominantly State-led service to a situation today where approximately 80% of nursing home services are provided by the private sector. This includes a small number of voluntary, not-for-profit nursing homes (approximately 4% of all nursing homes). Some 433 private nursing homes provide vital residential care to over 18,000 people on behalf of the State.

Providers of long-term residential care who participate in the NHSS can, as of 11 November, obtain additional funding supports to help meet increased energy costs due to inflation through the Temporary Inflation Payments Scheme (TIPS).

Eligible private and voluntary nursing homes can claim for vouched heating and electricity increases of up to €7,000 per month, with 75% of year-on-year cost increases to be reimbursed up to a maximum payment of €5,250 per month per nursing home. Claims for increased energy costs can be backdated to 01 July 2022 which means that each nursing home can apply for up to €31,500 in vouched energy increases.

The aim of the new scheme (TIPS) is to alleviate pressures put on nursing homes by an increase in energy prices and the new scheme will run in parallel with the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme. The Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme will be kept under review and further funding of these supports will be looked at towards the end of this year.

The Scheme is not intended to be allocated on a per resident cost but rather per nursing home in line with their actual increased costs. As designed, TIPS recognises that individual nursing homes may have different existing arrangements in place with energy providers and therefore experience varying cost increases.

Eligible nursing homes regardless of their size or their energy provider can claim the maximum amount of €5,250 per month for 75% of their year-on-year energy cost increases under the criteria outlined by the scheme.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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714. To ask the Minister for Health the supports that he has put in place in order to enable the retention of staff in the private nursing home service. [58006/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022 to examine, and formulate recommendations to address, the challenges in front-line carer roles in the home-support and long-term residential care sectors.

The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistantswas published on 15^thOctober 2022. Providing an overview of the work of the Group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation.

I strongly endorse all of the recommendations and can confirm that work towards their implementation has commenced. This will be monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the recommendations are enacted in full in a timely manner