Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
372. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when subvention payments will be increased for nursing homes, particularly for smaller-scale nursing homes, in view of the substantial increase in costs over recent years in providing nursing-home care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20196/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding to support people to access services in the sector continues to be provided in line with the long-established statutory mechanisms under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. This is the mechanism established by the Oireachtas to provide for the processes relating to funding under the NHSS and the negotiation of prices for services for private and voluntary providers with the designated State agency, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). Maximum prices for individual nursing homes are agreed with the NTPF following negotiations and based on the NTPF’s cost criteria. These criteria include costs reasonably incurred by the nursing home, local market prices, historic prices and overall budgetary capacity. The NTPF carry out this role independently under the NHSS Act 2009. The NTPF has statutory independence, and there is no role for Ministers or the Department of Health in these negotiations. The Department of Health published a review of the NTPF pricing system in June 2021. A steering group has been established to oversee the delivery of the recommendations; this group has met on a regular basis since publication of the review and continues to work on taking these recommendations forward.In addition to the work being advanced by the NTPF pricing review, important strands of reform to the nursing home sector are also being, or have been, brought forward. The Government remains committed to delivering on the 86 recommendations of COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel, especially those recommendations related to long-term sectoral reform, the nine recommendations of the Value for Money Review on Nursing Home Costs and the 16 recommendations of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Health Care Assistants which I have fully endorsed. Work continues within the Department of Health to deliver on all of these recommendations, as well as analysis of the outcomes of the Skills Mix and Safe Staffing pilots which will inform future policy.The Government is committed to seeing greater public sector involvement in the residential care of older people in Ireland and to move over time towards a needs-based model of funding and pricing for the nursing home sector. It is essential that all future plans for the nursing home sector continue to prioritise the best interests of residents while seeking value for money for the Exchequer.Budget 2023 saw over €40 million in additional funding for the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS) which has already provided for an uplift in the maximum prices chargeable by private and voluntary nursing homes, as negotiated.I encourage all eligible providers to avail of the €10m Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme (TIPS) announced last year, which covers up to 75% of year-on-year energy and heating cost increases in private and voluntary nursing homes up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per month per nursing home over the period of July to December 2022 (€31,500 per nursing home for 2022). This scheme was extended to the end of March 2023 and is currently under review.Since the start of the pandemic, private and voluntary nursing homes have received a wide range of non-financial supports, including over €74m in free PPE and oxygen, as well as over €149m of financial support through the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS). TAPS COVID-19 Outbreak Assistance will continue until the end of April 2023. The Government remains committed to ensuring that long-term residential care for older people continues to place residents’ care, wellbeing, standards and best interests at the centre of development.The Department of Health continues to engage with the NTPF to examine ways in which funding can also continue to be used to provide support, where necessary and appropriate, to those nursing homes who are not scheduled to renegotiate their Deeds of Agreement this year. Other options to support nursing homes are also being explored.
