Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On December 19th, 2023, Minister Butler announced a new €10 million scheme to improve infection prevention and fire safety in private and voluntary nursing homes. The Nursing Home Resident Safety Improvement (RSI) Scheme will provide funding towards structural works carried out in compliance with standards published by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) under Regulation 27 (Protection against infection) and Regulation 28 (Fire precautions).

Up to €25,000 will be available to each qualifying nursing home for eligible works under this scheme. Nursing homes may also claim retrospectively for works covered by this scheme if they were carried out since 1 January 2020.

The commencement date for the RSI scheme is 1st January, 2024 and the closing date for receipt of applications is 15th November, 2024.

This scheme is a vouched scheme which is open to all operational voluntary and private nursing homes registered with HIQA and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) as of 1 January 2024 and in receipt of payment under the National Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) for the provision of long-term residential care services.

The HSE will administer the scheme and make payments to the Nursing Homes. The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) will administer the application process and provide support and advice to the HSE.

Nursing homes whose applications are approved will have their payments processed and released on a quarterly basis by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

All funding through this scheme should be used to fund works in line with the Nursing Homes compliance plan outlined to HIQA as part of their inspection process.

The Budget 2024 allocation of funding for this scheme is €10 million. The total maximum amount that can be claimed by an individual nursing home under this scheme is €25,000.

Further details of Scheme rules and the application process are being finalised and will be circulated to all eligible Nursing Homes when available in the coming weeks.