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Health Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Questions (1650)

Michael Lowry

Question:

1650. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will review correspondence from a healthcare establishment (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if he will consider the reintroduction of the temporary assistance payment scheme to healthcare establishments in 2022 considering additional infection control measures need to be sustained and healthcare institutions need to be supported to maintain this level of infection prevention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1210/22]

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Written answers

The Government has provided extensive support to the Nursing Home Sector since the start of the pandemic. The Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) was established in April 2020 as a temporary, administrative measure to respond to the challenges being faced by the nursing home sector at the start of the pandemic, and was extended twice beyond its original planned end date.

In broad terms, TAPS had substantially fulfilled its temporary purpose of providing financial support to nursing homes to address COVID-19 and therefore it was appropriate to end the standard assistance element of the scheme in June 2021. From June onwards, in recognition of the residual risk presented by the virus, Minister Donnelly and I have agreed to the continued availability of the outbreak assistance element of the Scheme. This will now be available until the end of March 2022, and will ensure that contingency is available in the event of an outbreak.

According to the most recent available HSE data, over 8,264 claims had been processed, with some €122.9 million euro of direct financial support provided to the sector. Due to the extension of outbreak assistance, claims continue to be received and paid.  In total, €134.5 million has been made available under TAPS between 2020 and 2021.

The State has continued to prioritise residents of nursing homes in the response to COVID-19, including through the successful and early roll-out of the vaccine programme to nursing home residents. The booster programme has been rolled out to the majority of Nursing Homes, with some exceptions where public health has advised deferral, such as in cases of open outbreaks.

As the pandemic has continued, many further support measures for private and voluntary nursing homes have been made available through the HSE, including the provision of PPE on a no-cost basis (which now includes FFP2 masks), the implementation of serial testing, the support and engagement of COVID-19 response teams and public health teams, the temporary accommodation scheme for nursing home staff and further supports. Many of these supports will continue to be provided by the HSE for the foreseeable future.

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