Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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308. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to including fees charged by nursing homes for social events to be included in an allowable deduction under the fair deal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55725/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Fair Deal Scheme, officially the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:

• Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person
• Bed and board
• Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist the person with the activities of daily living
• Laundry service.

Other services such as specialised laundry, hairdressing, therapies, newspapers and hairdressing were excluded as these are discretionary charges that should only be applied when the resident chooses to avail of the service. Typically, social charges are levied on all residents to cover the cost of activities.

Part 7 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended) stipulates that the registered provider of the nursing home must agree a contract in writing with each resident on their admission to the nursing home. This contract must include details of the services to be provided to that resident and the fees to be charged and is inclusive of all additional charges. Residents should never be charged fees which are not set out in the contract. Prospective residents should examine this contract carefully to ensure they understand the details of additional charges that they may be required to pay. Prospective residents are also advised to retain a copy of the contract for information for their records.

The Department of Health and the HSE are not a party to such contracts which are concluded between each resident and their nursing home. It is clear that under the terms of the NHSS Act 2009, private nursing homes should not levy additional charges on NHSS residents for services coming within scope of the Nursing Home Support Scheme.

The Department of Health is consistently seeking to identify improvements and introduce enhancements to ensure that long-term nursing home care is sustainable, accessible and affordable for everyone and that people continue to be cared for in the most appropriate settings. The issue of additional charges is multifaceted; there are a number of separate factors driving this issue. Currently, the Department of Health is reviewing the available evidence and potential actions to address the different factors are being considered.