Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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293. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to a further extension of the temporary inflation payment scheme into 2023 to support private and voluntary nursing homes with energy cost increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10656/23]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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294. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to a further extension of the temporary assistance payment scheme into 2023 to support private and voluntary nursing homes with additional costs due to Covid-19 outbreaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10657/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together.

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.

The Temporary Inflation Payment scheme will now continue until the end of March 2023. Continuation beyond this point will be subject to review. 

Since the start of the pandemic, private and voluntary nursing homes have also received a wide range of non-financial supports, including over €74m in free PPE and oxygen, as well as over €147m 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. 

I am also 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.