€385m for nursing homes overhaul

A €385m investment has been promised to bring all public nursing homes up to minimum physical standards within five years.

The programme, which was announced by Kathleen Lynch, whose ministerial responsibilities at the Department of Health include older people and disabilities, will see 33 facilities replaced and 57 extended or refurbished.

Between them, these public nursing homes currently have 4,723 beds, and the capital programme comprises €237m under the Government’s recently-published multi-annual capital plan, in addition to €148m in the current HSE capital plan.