Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
555. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if any properties formerly in use as nursing homes have been offered to his Department for use to accommodate international protection applicants or beneficiaries of temporary protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42647/23]
View answerThe International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently utilising two properties which previously operated as nursing homes. Negotiations are ongoing with one provider regarding a former nursing home at present. Discussions are at an early stage, and a full assessment of the property must take place, following completion of works to meet required standards, before suitability can be assessed and deemed suitable.
With respect to beneficiaries of temporary protections (BOPTs), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) has 12 former nursing homes in contract for accommodation for people felling the conflict in Ukraine.
From the launch of the new offers portal in January 2023, 54 offers have been received. Of these, seven have progressed to a formal review process with a view to negotiating a contract.
There is a legal requirement that providers must give at least six months’ notice to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) if they intend to close. This provides residents, families and public health authorities appropriate time to respond effectively.
Given the challenges currently being faced in the nursing home sector and noticing a small trend emerging, the Department of Health (DOH) agreed with DCEDIY, to change the procurement guidelines around accommodation for persons under temporary protection in order to remove from consideration active nursing homes that were still registered operators with HIQA on or after the date of 1 September 2022.
With the changing situation with regard to accommodation for persons under temporary protection in mind, DOH has reviewed this agreed policy with a view to providing longer-term certainty to the nursing home sector and potential providers of temporary accommodation services.
The decision has been made to adopt a more flexible approach and to allow the conversion of nursing homes into accommodation centres for international protection applicants (IPAs) and/or beneficiaries of temporary protections (BOTPs) after 18 months following deregistration from the HIQA’s register. This allows for an appropriate closure process for residents and staff of nursing homes, while preventing facilities from being empty indefinitely where they might provide a source of accommodation for IPAs and/or BOTPs.
Stringent criteria is applied to disused nursing home offers as to all offers received for commercial accommodation.
