Written answers

Monday, 9 September 2024

Department of Health

Departmental Expenditure

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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1763.To ask the Minister for Health if, in light of the increasing annual renumeration thresholds for health care assistants, he will ensure that there is a commensurate increase in the funding of public beds in private nursing homes through the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34769/24]

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2023 Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced comprehensive changes to the employment permits system, with 43 changes to the jobs eligible for an employment permit as well as a roadmap for increasing salary thresholds.

As a result of these changes the minimum annual remuneration for non-EEA healthcare assistants and home care workers will increase from €27,000 to €30,000 from 1st January 2025 bringing the salary thresholds in line with family reunification thresholds.

This change was originally introduced to take place with effect from 1st of January 2024 however a deferral period of one year was allowed to give the nursing home sector sufficient time to meet the financial requirements of these salary adjustments in line with their funding model.

Horticultural workers and meat processors minimum annual remuneration was also brought into alignment with family reunification thresholds.

It is acknowledged that further increases in minimum salary thresholds over the coming years are of concern both employers and employee advocacy groups. In recognition of these concerns, the implementation of further increases across the remainder of the Roadmap announced in December 2023 is under review and will be subject to stakeholder consultation with employers, employee advocacy groups and relevant Government Departments.

The Department of Health is supportive of any policy which ensures that healthcare staff are appropriately compensated for work which is commensurate with their skills, qualifications and experience. However, it should also be noted that privately owned and operated businesses, of which private nursing homes are included, are responsible for setting and managing their own rates of pay.

The sustainability of the Nursing Home sector in Ireland is an important priority for this Government and unprecedented levels of funding; investment and support has been provided over the last number of years to stabilise the sector.

The overall budget has increased from €986m in 2020 to €1.161bn in 2024. It is anticipated that the trend of allocating increased funding to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) will continue in the forthcoming budget.

In addition, the Government has provided the private and voluntary nursing home sector, with over €151 million in funding delivered through the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) over the course of the Covid pandemic, which was extended to the end of April 2023.

Other supports directly delivered through the HSE include serial testing, the provision of PPE and deployment of expert response teams. The provision of free PPE and oxygen to private nursing homes continues, and cost €77 million from 1 April 2020 to 31 October 2022.

A €10 million scheme (TIPS) was established to support private and voluntary nursing homes with increases in energy costs. The scheme covers 75% of year-on-year cost increases in energy and heating, up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per nursing home, over the period of July to December 2022. TIPS was extended further, to June 2023.

Budget 2023 saw over €40 million in additional funding for the NHSS which is providing for an uplift in the maximum prices chargeable by private and voluntary nursing homes, as negotiated. An additional €45.6 million has been allocated to support nursing homes in Budget 2024.

This was including a new €10 million fund to support private and voluntary nursing homes with HIQA compliance. The scheme is designed to target and support structural improvements in nursing homes to assist their meeting HIQA compliance plans in respect of protection against infection and fire precautions. This is active as from 1 January 2024 and can be backdated for eligible works to 1 January 2020.

The budget to support approximately 23,000 people to live in nursing homes through Fair Deal, inclusive of client contributions, is approximately €1.5 billion this year.

In late February, it was announced that over €3.2 million in State support will be provided for over 440 registered nurses in private nursing homes to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Gerontological Nursing. This follows similar funding provided for registered nurses in public Community Nursing Units and voluntary nursing homes.

Maximum prices for individual nursing homes are agreed with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) following negotiations and based on its cost criteria. These criteria include: costs reasonably incurred by the nursing home, local market prices, historic prices and the available budget.

The Department of Health and I have met with the NTPF Board several times to discuss ways in which to support the sector, where necessary and appropriate, to complement the normal process of negotiating rate increases when contracts are renewed. The NTPF has statutory independence in this regard, and neither Ministers nor the Department of Health has any role in NHSS price negotiations.

Nevertheless, nursing homes which had a scheduled renegotiation of their Deed of Agreement recently with the NTPF have seen a significant uplift (an average baseline increase in price per bed of 6%).

I wish to note that the NTPF have no role in provision of funding for public beds within private Nursing Homes.

In the last two years, there has been an increase in Nursing Homes moving to a 12-month duration of their deeds of agreement with the NTPF.

In a 30 - month period (March 2022 - July 2024), the average increase in the maximum rates a nursing home can charge for NHSS has increased approx. 12% or €122 per resident per week.

The average price difference between the lowest and highest county averages in March 2022 was €278 which, by comparison to July 2024, has reduced to €244.

Photo of Paul McAuliffePaul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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1764.To ask the Minister for Health the projected cost of delivering the primary care centre in Finglas, in tabular form.[34770/24]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

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