Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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1216. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 450 of 27 September 2022, if the necessary administrative and operational changes have been made to the fair deal scheme in order that some income from renting out the family home can be deemed exempt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63457/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Effective from 01 November 2022, the amount of rental income that nursing home residents can retain under the Fair Deal from renting their principle private residence increases from 20% to 60%.

Prior to the change outlined above being implemented, participants in the Fair Deal scheme were able to rent out their homes or other assets, but rental income was subject to assessment at 80% like all other income (such as pension income).

Recognising that this may act as a disincentive against renting out a property, the Government approved a policy change to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme “Fair Deal”. The rate of assessment for rental income from a principal residence is reduced from 80% to 40%. This will be reviewed after six months of operation, with the potential for further amendment after that point.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1217. To ask the Minister for Health if the temporary inflation payment scheme will be extended past December 2022 given that fuel costs are expected to remain at heightened levels in the coming months and given that nursing homes are bound by HIQA regulations relating to temperature and adequate lighting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63461/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government remains conscious of the financial challenges faced by the Nursing Home sector, particularly in terms of inflationary cost increases. A €10m scheme (the Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme or TIPS) has been established that will cover 75% of year-on-year energy and heating cost increases in private and voluntary nursing homes up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per month per nursing home over the period of July to December 2022. This means that eligible nursing homes can claim up to €31,500 to help meet increasing energy costs.

Budget 2023 saw over €40 million in additional funding for the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS) which will provide for an uplift in the maximum prices chargeable by private and voluntary nursing homes, as negotiated. 

Since the start of the pandemic, private and voluntary nursing homes have also received a wide range of non-financial supports, including over €72m in free PPE and oxygen, as well as over €145m of financial support through the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS). The TAPS Covid-19 Outbreak Assistance has been extended to the end of the year. 

Minister Butler is currently in discussions with Departmental officials to examine ways in which funding can also continue to be used to provide support, where necessary and appropriate, to those nursing homes who are not scheduled to renegotiate their Deeds of Agreement this year. This includes an expected extension of the Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme into 2023.