Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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237. To ask the Minister for Health the reason he or his predecessor has not published an independent review of the charge rate negotiation system that was presented in May 2019; if he will immediately publish this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31891/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.

The Report of the NHSS Review published in 2015 identified a number of issues for more detailed consideration, including a review of the pricing mechanism used by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), with a view to:

- Ensuring value for money and economy, with the lowest possible administrative costs for clients and the State and administrative burden for providers;

- Increasing the transparency of the pricing mechanism so that existing and potential investors can make as informed decisions as possible; and

- Ensuring that there is adequate residential capacity for those residents with more complex needs.

A Steering Group was established to oversee and manage the pricing review. The Steering Group is chaired by the NTPF and includes representatives from the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As part of its work on the review the NTPF sought various inputs including external expertise and stakeholder engagement to inform the review. These inputs were considered in detail. It is recognised that any change to any part of the Scheme must be considered in terms of the short- and long-term impact on the viability of the Scheme and accessibility of long-term residential care in general. It is therefore important that the relevant issues are considered thoroughly. 

The NTPF has now completed its report and the Steering Group has completed its consideration of it, the report has been submitted by the NTPF to the Department. The report is currently under consideration by the Department.

However, further progress on this work has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with focus entirely on responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be a national and public health priority.