Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our private and voluntary nursing homes are facing significant challenges and urgent intervention is necessary to halt the alarming trend of closures we are witnessing. Last year, a staggering one in three private and voluntary nursing homes ran at a loss. Their operating costs have soared by 36%, forcing many to shut their doors. In my own back yard in Mayo, we have felt the sting of this crisis. St. Anne's Nursing Home in Charlestown is already closed, and now there are looming threats of closures in both Claremount Nursing Home in Claremorris and the St. Brendan's nursing unit in Mulranny. St. Brendan's has already been forced to cut its bed count from 35 to 24 due to spiralling costs.

While the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF is tasked with addressing such issues, its efforts seem to be inadequate in the face of these escalating situations. I ask the Taoiseach what immediate measures the Government is considering to ensure that private and voluntary nursing homes remain operational and how we prevent the further loss of these invaluable beds and care for our elderly.

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