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Legislative Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

Questions (539)

Michael Ring

Question:

539. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the date he plans to bring the nursing home support scheme (amendment) Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25608/21]

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Written answers

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly referred to as the Fair Deal Scheme, has been in operation for over 10 years and there is broad agreement that the Scheme operates well and continues to provide appropriate financial assistance where it is required.

However, it is recognised that the Act, in its current form, does not place caps on the financial assessment of family owned and operated farms or businesses when calculating the means to pay for nursing home care. This places a potentially onerous burden on family successors and could challenge the future viability of these productive assets.

Therefore, the Department of Health has proposed a policy change to the Scheme, to cap contributions based on farm and business assets at three years where a family successor commits to working the productive asset. The stated policy objective of the legislation is to introduce additional safeguards in the Scheme to further protect the viability and sustainability of family farms and businesses that will be passed down to the next generation of the family to continue to work them as productive assets to provide for their livelihood.

This change was approved by Government and underwent pre-legislative scrutiny in the last Dáil. Progress on the development of the Bill was negatively impacted by the dissolution of the last Dáil and by the COVID-19 pandemic. The response to the pandemic has been and continues to be a national and public health priority. However, the Programme for Government committed to introducing this amendment to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme and I am pleased to say that Cabinet approved the publication of the Bill on the 11th May. The Bill completed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann 18th-20th May and has been referred to the Select Committee on Health. It is my intention to begin Committee Stage before the end of June.

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