More farmers have highlighted severe difficulties with paying for nursing home care through the Fair Deal scheme.
Among those who contacted the Irish Farmers Journal was a beef farmer in Co Offaly who brings 20 calves to store on a 30ac farm. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that when he inherited the family farm, an “old-fashioned solicitor” advised his mother to keep 10ac in her own name while he farmed it.
One year ago, the farmer’s mother had to go into full-time care. Her share of the land was valued at €6,000 per acre or €60,000. Her €70,000 home also comes into the means-testing equation for the first three years after she enters the scheme. The family must pay 7.5% of the value of those assets every year. In addition, 80% of her pension goes towards care costs.
Now the farmer’s family is faced with a €1,300 monthly bill.
“The bills come in her name and we pay on her behalf. Thankfully I have brothers and sisters who can help out,” he said. “It’s a bit unfair. It’s not a fair deal.”
Following the introduction of a Fianna Fáil bill last Thursday to offer home care options as an alternative to nursing home places under the Fair Deal scheme, the issue of charges applying to the value of family farms under the scheme came to the fore in the Dáil.
“The rules around assets and farmland do not reflect the way society is run. Farmland cannot be sold at a minute’s notice,” said Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary. “It cannot be sold if a family is told to move their relative to a nursing home within a week. It may go back generations and an older person will not get rid of that land.”
Listen to Fianna Fáil's spokespeople on social protection Willie O'Dea and health Billy Kelleher outline proposals for the Fair Deal scheme in our podcast below:
Listen to "Fianna Fáil on Fair Deal scheme" on Spreaker.
Calleary and party colleagues Jackie Cahill and Anne Rabbitte said this had to be taken into account when assessing a person’s assets under the Fair Deal scheme. They were joined by independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, who said that “these people want to pay” but “they are seriously discriminated against by the Fair Deal scheme”.
Read more
Fair Deal scheme: Cork farmer refuses to choose between her mother and her farm
Full coverage: Fair Deal scheme
More farmers have highlighted severe difficulties with paying for nursing home care through the Fair Deal scheme.
Among those who contacted the Irish Farmers Journal was a beef farmer in Co Offaly who brings 20 calves to store on a 30ac farm. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that when he inherited the family farm, an “old-fashioned solicitor” advised his mother to keep 10ac in her own name while he farmed it.
One year ago, the farmer’s mother had to go into full-time care. Her share of the land was valued at €6,000 per acre or €60,000. Her €70,000 home also comes into the means-testing equation for the first three years after she enters the scheme. The family must pay 7.5% of the value of those assets every year. In addition, 80% of her pension goes towards care costs.
Now the farmer’s family is faced with a €1,300 monthly bill.
“The bills come in her name and we pay on her behalf. Thankfully I have brothers and sisters who can help out,” he said. “It’s a bit unfair. It’s not a fair deal.”
Following the introduction of a Fianna Fáil bill last Thursday to offer home care options as an alternative to nursing home places under the Fair Deal scheme, the issue of charges applying to the value of family farms under the scheme came to the fore in the Dáil.
“The rules around assets and farmland do not reflect the way society is run. Farmland cannot be sold at a minute’s notice,” said Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary. “It cannot be sold if a family is told to move their relative to a nursing home within a week. It may go back generations and an older person will not get rid of that land.”
Listen to Fianna Fáil's spokespeople on social protection Willie O'Dea and health Billy Kelleher outline proposals for the Fair Deal scheme in our podcast below:
Listen to "Fianna Fáil on Fair Deal scheme" on Spreaker.
Calleary and party colleagues Jackie Cahill and Anne Rabbitte said this had to be taken into account when assessing a person’s assets under the Fair Deal scheme. They were joined by independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, who said that “these people want to pay” but “they are seriously discriminated against by the Fair Deal scheme”.
Read more
Fair Deal scheme: Cork farmer refuses to choose between her mother and her farm
Full coverage: Fair Deal scheme
SHARING OPTIONS