The Government is conscious of the financial challenges faced by the nursing home sector, especially smaller and voluntary nursing homes that may not have access to the same economies of scale as larger homes or groups. The Government has provided substantial support to the private and voluntary nursing home sector over the course of the pandemic. Over €150m of financial support has been provided to private and voluntary nursing homes through the COVID-19 Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) and the provision of free PPE and oxygen to private nursing homes continues, costing over €77 million to date.
The Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme (TIPS) was a €10 million scheme established last year to support private and voluntary nursing homes with increases in energy costs, covering 75% of year-on-year cost increases up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per nursing home. This scheme was extended for a second time to the end of June 2023. The Department of Health is considering future options for additional financial support to the sector.
To the end of June 2023, the average amount paid per claim has been €2776. The total amount of claims in this time period has been 2683.
There are no considerations to amend the criteria of The Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme (TIPS).
