This week, one of the most crucial pieces of legislation for farm families was approved by Cabinet.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021 was fully supported by Government and will now be presented before the houses of the Oireachtas.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly known as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. The scheme aims to ensure that care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.

Minister Mary Butler.

Under Fair Deal, people make contributions to their care based on a financial assessment of their income and assets.

Assessment

In this assessment, the capital value of an individual’s principal private residence is only included for the first three years of a resident’s time in care. This is known as the three-year cap.

The average length of stay of those entering the scheme is currently 3.3 years.

This amendment to the scheme will also cap contributions based on family owned and operated farm and business assets at three years, where a family successor commits, within the first three years of a person’s time in care, to working the farm or business for a period of six years.

Under existing provisions, this cap already applies in cases of sudden illness or disability.

Ultimately, the bill seeks to alleviate any unnecessary financial pressures placed on these families

The intention is to ensure that, in situations where the family farm or business’s productive income is being relied upon as a principal livelihood, and the farm or business is being handed down to the next generation, the viability and sustainability of such farms or businesses is protected.

Ultimately, the bill seeks to alleviate any unnecessary financial pressures placed on these families due to existing provisions within the law.

Regardless of the duration of a person’s length of stay in long-term residential care, the maximum contribution based on the capital value of a farm or business is 7.5% per annum for three years only.

More accessible

This bill will ensure that the Fair Deal scheme is more accessible and affordable for more farm families and small business owners.

This historic piece of legislation comes on the back of over a decade of hard work by many key stakeholders, including politicians, advocacy groups and older persons organisations.

Ultimately, the biggest driver of this legislation has been you – the farm families of Ireland.

As ministers and TDs from rural Ireland, we are acutely aware of the fear many farm families have had when it comes the care of their family

We have listened to, heard and continued to engage with these families who have been living under enormous financial burden, ensuring that their loved ones are cared for and treated with dignity.

As ministers and TDs from rural Ireland, we are acutely aware of the fear many farm families have had when it comes the care of their family.

It is a hugely emotive issue – one that the programme for government sought to deliver on and we are happy to have now made this critical step forward.

Emotional stress

The emotional stress of being forced to place a loved one in the care of a nursing home is compounded for many families, by the significant financial pressure associated with achieving quality long-term care. Unfortunately, this is too often the case and reflects heart-breaking scenarios for many families across rural Ireland.

It is hoped that it will receive broad-based, cross-party support

We thank the hard work of officials and members of Cabinet in delivering this piece of legislation to this point and we look forward to seeing it enacted as quickly as possible. It is expected that the bill will be brought before the Dáil within the next couple of weeks, with a view to it being signed into law over the next few months. It is hoped that it will receive broad-based, cross-party support.

This legislation will ensure that the Fair Deal Scheme is a fair deal for all. It will deliver fairness, enhancing protections and improving accessibility and affordability of long-term care among farm families and small businesses.