15/04/2026
Following a constructive meeting this morning with Minister for Older Persons Kieran O'Donnell, The Alliance - Supporting Nursing Homes had the opportunity to raise a number of critical issues impacting the nursing home sector and, most importantly, the delivery of care to older persons across Ireland. 🤝
Key discussions focused on:
• The sustainability of the Fair Deal Scheme amid rising energy and other operational costs 💸
• Delays in the delivery of new public nursing home beds, and the opportunity to seek out retrofits in public private partnerships 🏗️
• Workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention, and career pathways for healthcare assistants 👩⚕️
• The urgent need for reform of the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal), including the introduction of a transparent, evidence-based cost of care framework 📊. We presented The ©Rosetta Cost of Care Model as an alternative which aligns with the programme for Government.
• Ongoing Independent regulatory review of HIQA and the Office of the Chief Inspector 🔍 We stressed the importance of the final report being made widely available to the public and Oireachtas for further scrutiny in a constructive manner.
• Inequities in commercial rates applied to nursing homes via the Valuation Act 2001 and the requirement for a review of same ⚖️
We also welcomed confirmation that the Minister and the Department of Health will tomorrow announce a new support scheme for 2026, with a broader structure to the 2025 RPU Scheme, with funding of up to €25,000 per nursing home. This is a positive development and reflects sustained engagement and advocacy by the Alliance since pre-Budget discussions last year. ✅
While this is a step in the right direction, it is clear that broader structural reform is required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector. In particular, funding must move beyond basic “bed, board, and laundry” to properly reflect the true cost and complexity of care. 🏥
We look forward to continued engagement with the Minister, Department of Health - Ireland and Government to deliver meaningful reform that supports providers, protects residents, and ensures high-quality care across the system.
