Frustration is turning to despair for many farm families who have been waiting for changes to the nursing home Fair Deal scheme since 2015.
Despite repeated promises by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the current scheme continues to claim payments for the elderly based on their farm assets. The annual 7.5% charge based on the value of a farm for a farmer in full-time care means the family farm would be lost to the next generation after 14 years. Proposed changes include a three-year limit on the charges applicable to business assets, including farmland but have yet to be enacted.
Joe Carroll – Beef farmer, Co Offaly
Joe Carroll on his farm at Kilcormac, Co Offaly, taken for the Fair Deal Scheme article.
”My wife will have been in the nursing home seven years this September. On average, I’ve been paying over €2,000/month towards my wife’s nursing home fees. I’m nearly at the point of giving up at this stage because despite raising the issue repeatedly, I feel like nothing has changed.
“There have been so many broken promises and despite Minister Mary Butler and Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying there would be a breakthrough in the first quarter of this year, there has still been no news. I feel the whole thing would have been sorted years ago if the IFA had taken a stronger stance on it.
“It’s going through the savings we had for our golden years – my wife needs it for her care but the open-ended nature of payments for the Fair Deal scheme on the farm is a killer.
“I’ve always tried to be positive but the stress of the situation is taking a toll.
“My oldest son is very interested in the farm but I don’t know if I’ll have to sell some of the farm if the change to the Fair Deal doesn’t come in.”
Hilda O’Brien – Farmer’s daughter, Co Offaly
Hilda O'Brien and her mother Katie. \ Thomas Hubert
”My dad is 97 years old and has dementia and is in full-time care. His pension goes to pay his nursing home fees every week. My mother has an old-age pension and I’m her full-time carer and we pay the balance on my dad’s nursing home bill and then I pay any extras that might come on top of that.
“We’ve been paying it for the last seven years and I would love to see some kind of breakthrough. Some people say, ‘Oh you’re from a farm family, you can afford it,’ but every family is different. We’ve always been happy to pay the bills, but at the very least my mother should have her pension back.
“Our local TD Carol Nolan has been very active on the issue but we’d like to see a push now and get it sorted because it’s been going on too long.
“It’s called Fair Deal but it’s not fair in my eyes.”
Read more
Families still waiting for Fair Deal
World record eight lambs born to Scottish ewe
Frustration is turning to despair for many farm families who have been waiting for changes to the nursing home Fair Deal scheme since 2015.
Despite repeated promises by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the current scheme continues to claim payments for the elderly based on their farm assets. The annual 7.5% charge based on the value of a farm for a farmer in full-time care means the family farm would be lost to the next generation after 14 years. Proposed changes include a three-year limit on the charges applicable to business assets, including farmland but have yet to be enacted.
Joe Carroll – Beef farmer, Co Offaly
Joe Carroll on his farm at Kilcormac, Co Offaly, taken for the Fair Deal Scheme article.
”My wife will have been in the nursing home seven years this September. On average, I’ve been paying over €2,000/month towards my wife’s nursing home fees. I’m nearly at the point of giving up at this stage because despite raising the issue repeatedly, I feel like nothing has changed.
“There have been so many broken promises and despite Minister Mary Butler and Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying there would be a breakthrough in the first quarter of this year, there has still been no news. I feel the whole thing would have been sorted years ago if the IFA had taken a stronger stance on it.
“It’s going through the savings we had for our golden years – my wife needs it for her care but the open-ended nature of payments for the Fair Deal scheme on the farm is a killer.
“I’ve always tried to be positive but the stress of the situation is taking a toll.
“My oldest son is very interested in the farm but I don’t know if I’ll have to sell some of the farm if the change to the Fair Deal doesn’t come in.”
Hilda O’Brien – Farmer’s daughter, Co Offaly
Hilda O'Brien and her mother Katie. \ Thomas Hubert
”My dad is 97 years old and has dementia and is in full-time care. His pension goes to pay his nursing home fees every week. My mother has an old-age pension and I’m her full-time carer and we pay the balance on my dad’s nursing home bill and then I pay any extras that might come on top of that.
“We’ve been paying it for the last seven years and I would love to see some kind of breakthrough. Some people say, ‘Oh you’re from a farm family, you can afford it,’ but every family is different. We’ve always been happy to pay the bills, but at the very least my mother should have her pension back.
“Our local TD Carol Nolan has been very active on the issue but we’d like to see a push now and get it sorted because it’s been going on too long.
“It’s called Fair Deal but it’s not fair in my eyes.”
Read more
Families still waiting for Fair Deal
World record eight lambs born to Scottish ewe
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