Land costs ‘will leave city nursing homes unviable’

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney warned yesterday it could become “impossible” to set up nursing homes in Dublin with the high price being demanded for land.

Ms Harney was responding to a report on private nursing homes, which revealed that while an extra 1,068 nursing home beds were opened last year, 531 were closed, primarily in smaller and older homes.

Ms Harney also revealed that she is in discussions with her Government partner and Environment Minster John Gormley in looking at the constitutionality of the laws governing the zoning of land.