Offaly TD welcomes planned reform of Nursing Home Support Scheme

Independent TD Carol Nolan has said that she welcomes reports that "long overdue" reforms to the Nursing Home Support Scheme, or Fair Deal, will be brought before Cabinet for approval on Tuesday.

Deputy Nolan was speaking after reports also emerged that the Minister of State for Older People, Jim Daly, is set to recommend that some of the reforms will be retrospective in nature.

“This is great news, even if it is years overdue," Deputy Nolan said.

"I have made repeated representations to the Minister on the need to escalate this process given the discriminatory nature of the current Scheme, especially as it relates to farming families."

"We can only hope at this stage that the government will see fit to prioritise this crucially important and reforming work before the summer recess and not subject it to further delays."

"I am certain that efforts to bring it over the line so that families can feel the impact will receive wide cross-party and independent member support."

"I am also very heartened to see that the Minister appears to have taken on board suggestions that I and farming family representative organisations have been making with respect to making aspects of the reform’s retrospective," Carol said.

"As I understand it, under the new regime, if a resident has been living in a nursing home for one year, their family will only have to pay the 7.5% for another two years and if a resident is in a nursing home for more than three years, those 7.5% payments will cease immediately."

"That is certainly a significant advance forward."