Nursing homes are being abandoned by the Government — NHI 

Nursing Homes Ireland chief executive Tadhg Daly: 'We are calling upon An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to intervene to stem the crisis in nursing home care and extended older person and social care.' Picture: Collins 

Nursing Homes Ireland has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to help private and voluntary nursing homes, saying they are bitterly disappointed with a funding package to tackle rising costs.

So far this year, 16 nursing homes have closed, and the representative body said they are being abandoned by the Government.

The Department of Health this week announced a Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme. Nursing homes had asked for a €194 increase per resident, but instead were told €15 was available.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) chief executive Tadhg Daly said this was “a bitter disappointment”.

“We are calling upon An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to intervene to stem the crisis in nursing home care and extended older person and social care,” he said.

This crisis will become exacerbated if hundreds more beds are to close in the weeks, months and year ahead. This is a very real fear across our sector.” 

NHI took part in an eight-month discussion with the Department of Health and Minister of State Mary Butler on proposals for the scheme, he said.

“The bitter disappointment emanates from the scheme being brought into effect being completely removed from the reality of the huge increase in costs incurred for nursing homes this past year,” he said.

NHI was asked to submit its estimate of what would be needed before the funding package was announced. It worked with a cross-sample of nursing homes and estimated that, at a minimum, the year-on-year increase should be €194 per resident.

Mr Daly said the package represents a €15 contribution per resident, with the €10m allocation less than half a percent of the €23bn announced for healthcare in Budget 2023.

This is about providing care to our most high-dependent citizens within an extreme inflationary environment.” 

Speaking at the NHI annual conference in Kilkenny, he said exceptional cost increases were not being addressed by Government. These increases include heating, electricity, food and staffing.

“We want to work constructively with the minister and her department, but the disappointment in the sector is extreme given the scheme is so far removed from reality,” he said.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

NHI also called on the Government to tackle overall reform of the Fair Deal scheme, which funds residents in nursing homes, describing this as “not fit for purpose”.