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The Government hopes to finalise a bill next month to remove the value of farms from the calculation of nursing home charges after three years, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly has said.
"The focus on matters relating to Brexit, including planning and preparing in a legal and legislative context, has unfortunately had an impact on progressing the heads of bill. However, subject to legal advice, I expect to bring the heads of bill to Government in May," Minister Daly told the Dáil.
Legal checks
At a cabinet meeting last July, the Government approved the principle of ending contributions based on the value of a nursing home resident's small business assets after three years if a family successor commits to working the property, including farms.
However, there have been lengthy legal checks ever since to avoid court challenges when the measure is implemented by individual families.
Effective in 2019 'subject to the legislative process'
Once transmitted to the Oireachtas, the bill will need approval from TDs and senators. "The changes to the scheme will come into effect in 2019 subject to the legislative process," Minister Daly said.
He was responding to a parliamentary question from Offaly independent TD Carol Nolan, who welcomed progress and said that any any further delay would be unacceptable.
“The failure to reform the Fair Deal scheme is continuing to result in inaction that is having immediate, dramatic and totally avoidable consequences for farming families in particular," said Deputy Nolan.
Work on the legal basis for the reforms should have started three years ago
The minister's remark that completion of the bill next month was subject to legal advice "sounds very much like Government speak aimed at justifying further delay," she added. "Work on the legal basis for the reforms should have started three years ago when commitments were provided in the Programme for Government".
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