Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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271. To ask the Minister for Health if he will clarify the legislative basis or policy rationale for the criteria that disused nursing homes, i.e., nursing homes registered with HIQA on or after 1 September 2022 will not be considered, are an approved accommodation category under the Offers of Commercial Accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22224/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health takes the closures of nursing homes very seriously. The closure of nursing homes can put pressure on other local health and social care facilities. It is vital that the welfare of residents is ensured. There a number of reasons for nursing home closures each year including retirement, non-compliance with HIQA regulations, financial viability and, in some cases, recognition that the premises would not be compliant with revised regulations. Given the challenges currently being faced in the nursing home sector, Minister Donnelly and I agreed with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Minister Roderic O'Gorman TD, to change the procurement guidelines around accommodation for persons under temporary protection in order to remove from consideration active nursing homes that were still registered operators with HIQA on or after the date of 1 September 2022. The intention behind this position is to avoid unintentionally incentivising active nursing homes to leave the market. Former nursing homes that had already ceased operation and were deregistered prior to this date would not be affected if they wished to enter into contracts as accommodation providers. This brings active nursing homes into the same category as other types of property that have been determined to be unsuitable as accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, including: • Housing set aside for social housing,• Accommodation planned for use by other arms of Government,• Student accommodation during academic terms The Department of Health has no direct role in the procurement process or the approval of any individual accommodation centres for use by displaced persons. The Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, under whose remit procurement and approval of accommodation centres for use by Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection falls, have indicated that they will continue to apply this position. Minister Donnelly and I, and the Department of Health, remain committed to continuing, constructive cross-Government engagement to address the health and social care needs of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection as well as the identification of appropriate sites that might be used for accommodation. Given the changing situation with regard to accommodation for persons under temporary protection, the Department of Health is reviewing the policy agreed with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with a view to providing longer-term certainty to the nursing home sector and potential providers of temporary accommodation services. The review is near completion.