Stephen Cadogan: Nursing home scheme still discriminates against farmers

One year on, delivery of a commitment made in the Programme for Government to remove any discrimination against small businesses and family farms in the ‘Fair Deal’ — Nursing Homes Support Scheme — is still awaited.

Now, the Rural Independent Group of TDs has tabled a Dáil motion, and junior minister of state in the Department of Health Helen McEntee has repeated her commitment, along with her Government colleagues, to remove any discrimination, and says she will prioritise and fast-track changes to the legislation, to deal with the uncertainty that is being felt by farming and business families.