Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on engagements by his Department in relation to the establishment of a care partner scheme for nursing and care home residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6877/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to the Care Partner Scheme provided for in Northern Ireland. I understand that this Scheme was originally put in place during the pandemic as an additional support to people in health and social care settings in addition to the normal visiting arrangements.

As the Deputy may be aware, a similar arrangement was introduced by the HSE in visiting guidance that first came into effect in February 2022. That guidance provided that each resident should have the opportunity to identify a nominated support person who will have unrestricted access to the resident for most of the day and is considered a partner in care. This partner in care is in addition to and not instead of visitor access.

The full guidance is available on the HPSC website www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/infectionpreventionandcontrolguidance/residentialcarefacilities/IPC%20and%20PH%20guidance%20for%20outbreaks.pdf.

It should also be noted that a new system of decision support arrangements will shortly be introduced when the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act is commenced. These new arrangements are intended to support people who have challenges with their capacity and may need support to make certain decisions.

I understand that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is now preparing the necessary commencement orders and regulations to allow for full commencement of the Act.

More about the different support arrangements can be found on the Decision Support Service website decisionsupportservice.ie/.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure that there is equal treatment of private nursing homes in relation to subvention payments regardless of their location; if the sizeable divergence in payments at present will be removed without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7648/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely aware of the specific challenges faced by the nursing homes sector related to price inflation and increased energy costs.

The Government has provided substantial supports to the nursing home sector over the course of the pandemic. Over €147 million has been claimed by nursing homes under the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) since its introduction in 2020.

Substantial additional supports have also been provided by the HSE in terms of serial testing, PPE, the deployment of specialist teams and other services.

A €10 million Temporary Inflation Payments Scheme (TIPS) was established to support private and voluntary nursing homes with increases in energy costs, covering 75% of year-on-year cost increases up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per nursing home, over the period of July-December 2022 (€31,500 per nursing home).

The Department of Health intends to extend the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) COVID-19 Outbreak Assistance to the end of March 2023 and to expand the scope of the Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme (TIPS). Any further extension or expansion of either scheme will be kept under review.

Funding to support people to access services in the sector continues to be provided in line with the long-established statutory mechanisms under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. This is the mechanism established by the Oireachtas to provide for the processes relating to funding under the NHSS and the negotiation of prices for services for private and voluntary providers with the designated State agency, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). Maximum prices for individual nursing homes are agreed with the NTPF following negotiations and based on the NTPF’s cost criteria. These criteria include costs reasonably incurred by the nursing home, local market prices, historic prices and overall budgetary capacity.

The NTPF carry out this role independently under the NHSS Act 2009. The NTPF has statutory independence, and there is no role for Ministers or the Department of Health in these negotiations. The Department of Health published a review of the NTPF pricing system in June 2021. It recommended several actions to improve the pricing system which are now being taken forward by the Department of Health and the NTPF. One of these actions relates to exploring a new geographical pricing model for the sector.

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

I am 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. Other options to support nursing homes are also being explored.