Latest news with #NursingHomesSupportScheme
Agriland
an hour ago
- Business
- Agriland
Government urged to consider Fair Deal proposals as farmers seek reform
Farmers are seeking an urgent reform of the Fair Deal scheme. The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has told Agriland it is seeking a meeting with the Government to discuss the Fair Deal and ask for immediate changes to the scheme that it says are necessary to prevent people losing their farms. Under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also referred to as Fair Deal, financial support is offered to people in long-term nursing home care. Nursing home residents pay part of the nursing home fees according to their means, and the HSE pays the balance. The IFA is seeking a number of changes to the Fair Deal. The association has proposed to reduce the five-year land/business transfer clause to three years in line with the 'three-year cap', to allow more farmers to benefit from the Fair Deal. The IFA has proposed that land leased under Fair Deal should be classed as 'actively farmed' for the purposes of meeting succession criteria. The IFA is also seeking an increase in the ancillary state support loan payback to a minimum of five years to allow sufficient time to repay the costs. The current cash asset disregard for a single person is €36,000 and €72,000 for a couple; IFA is asking for these to be increased to €44,000 and €88,000 respectively. The IFA has said that the assessment period for the family home under Fair Deal should be reduced from three years to two, with a maximum contribution of 15% of the home's value, instead of the current cap of 22.5%. The IFA has also proposed that income from leased farmland should be excluded or at least partially disregarded in the Fair Deal financial assessment. IFA farm family and social affairs committee chairperson Teresa Roche told Agriland that the association is putting emphasis on "how unfair" the Fair Deal is for family farms, and that people "with assets are being penalised." Under current rules, families may apply for a cap that limits the contribution of farm or business assets to nursing home costs to three years, but only if strict conditions are met. The three-year cap was introduced in 2021 for qualifying family farms and businesses, limiting the asset-based contribution to the total of 22.5% (7.5% a year, for three years). After three years, the value of family-owned farms and businesses is not considered when calculating the cost of a person's nursing home care. Roche said that the Fair Deal criteria needs to be urgently changed, in order to protect family farms. It is understood that thousands of individuals who have land under long-term lease arrangements are likely to be excluded from the three-year cap. Roche said this is putting farms with leased land "in huge jeopardy". She said there is a threat to food production in Ireland as a result of people being "forced to sell" farms to cover the costs of nursing home care. Roche said the IFA is seeking a full review of the Fair Deal, which the association believes is overdue. "We're waiting for a meeting with the government to discuss this," she added. The Department of Health told Agriland that discussions in relation to its annual budget are underway, and any changes to the Fair Deal "would need to be considered as part of the annual estimates process which is ongoing at the moment". "The department has regular engagement with key nursing home stakeholders from the sector regarding the Nursing Homes Support Scheme," it added. Related Stories Rural TD calls for urgent reform of Fair Deal scheme Cork TD Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon recently to provide an update on his department's engagement with the Department for Health in relation to examining the Fair Deal to ensure it does not impede succession planning and recognises the distinctive position of agricultural land. The minister said that farm succession is a "complex issue and there are many factors that impact farmers' decisions". "Last October, an independent Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming was established. The commission is taking an objective, evidence-based approach examining the range of factors involved that contribute to the age demographic in the sector," the minister replied. "I am expecting the commission to report to me on policy options shortly."
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Listen: AgriFocus - Fair Deal and the family farm
Listen: AgriFocus – Fair Deal and the family farm May 21, 2025 5:06 pm In this episode of AgriFocus Francess McDonnell is joined by Ann Griffin, regional advocate for the north-west with Sage Advocacy – which is the National Advocacy Service for Older People – to chat about what happens to the family farm if an older person needs to consider nursing home care. According to Ann Griffin there can be a deep fear among some farmers and their families about what it will mean for the future of the farm if they sign up to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal – which provides financial support to help pay for the cost of nursing home care. The regional advocate said that some people fear this will mean the end of the farm, but she said this is not the case. She told the AgriFocus podcast that under the Fair Deal scheme an individual pays a certain amount towards the total cost of nursing home care and the HSE then pays the remainder. This is based on the HSE carrying out a financial assessment to work out how much an individual may need to pay towards their nursing home care and this is based on their income and their assets. There are two types of assets assessed – cash assets and non-cash assets – which includes a person's home, any land they may own and farms. There is a 3-year cap limit on how much a person pays towards nursing home care as part of the Fair Deal scheme – that includes homes, farms and businesses – but there are also conditions which Ann has advised older people must be aware of. During this episode of the AgriFocus the regional advocate for Sage Advocacy also highlighted some of the key issues facing people who getting older in rural Ireland today.
Agriland
06-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Rural TD calls for urgent reform of Fair Deal scheme
A rural TD has called for an urgent reform of the Fair Deal scheme to protect farm and business families. If you are approved for Fair Deal, you pay a certain amount towards the total cost of nursing home care and Health Service Executive (HSE) pays the balance. For example, if the amount you've been told to pay is €400 a month and the nursing home costs €1,200 a month, HSE will pay the balance of €800. Independent Ireland leader, Deputy Michael Collins has warned that thousands of farm and small business families are facing financial devastation due to what he has described as 'outdated and unfair' rules within the system. Deputy Collins claimed that the current structure of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme — commonly known as Fair Deal — fails to reflect the realities of family farming and small enterprise in rural Ireland, and risks forcing families to sell their land or businesses to cover spiralling nursing home costs. 'The Fair Deal scheme is no longer fit for purpose when it comes to farm and business families,' Deputy Collins said. 'People who spent a lifetime building up their land or family business, often with the intention of handing it on to the next generation, are now being punished by a system that doesn't recognise how rural life and long-term leasing works.' Fair Deal scheme Under current rules, families may apply for a cap that limits the contribution of farm or business assets to nursing home costs to three years, but only if strict conditions are met. One of those conditions is that the farm or business must be 'actively operated'. The successor must commit to farming the land for six years from the time Fair Deal is approved. However, according to Deputy Collins, this excludes thousands of landowners who leased out land in good faith, often under long-term lease agreements actively encouraged by the state to promote land mobility and generational renewal. 'These people did the right thing,' Deputy Collins said. 'They followed state advice, entered into long-term leases to give younger farmers a chance, and now they're being penalised for it. That's indefensible.' The Independent Ireland TD referenced recent figures that reveal that mroe than 13,000 individuals who have land under long-term lease arrangements are likely to be excluded from the three-year cap. 'As a result, they face annual nursing home charges that can exceed €70,000, and in some cases reach €120,000, without the protections offered to others,' he stated. He claimed that the financial burden has already led to some families being forced to sell land to meet the cost of care. Deputy Collins is calling for a full review and amendment of the Fair Deal rules to ensure that long-term leased land is recognised as part of an 'actively farmed' holding, particularly where the lease was encouraged under state-supported schemes. He is also asking for a path for families to nominate a successor, even where the farm was leased, without losing eligibility for the three-year asset cap. 'We are simply asking for fair treatment for families,' Deputy Collins said. 'The Fair Deal should not be a trap for decent people trying to do right by their families. 'If the state encouraged long-term leasing for good policy reasons, it cannot now turn around and punish those same families when they need care,' the TD concluded.
Irish Independent
06-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
What is the Fair Deal Scheme?
Everything you need to know about the nursing home scheme The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly known as the Fair Deal scheme, is managed by the HSE and was introduced to cover the cost of long-term nursing home care in Ireland. Anyone who needs long-term nursing home care can apply to the Fair Deal scheme, which has an annual budget of €1.25bn and is run under the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act.
Agriland
23-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Information webinar for farmers to focus on Fair Deal scheme
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) will host an information webinar for farmers on the Fair Deal scheme next week. The webinar, being run in partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE), will take place at 8:00p.m on Wednesday, April 30. The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly referred to has the Fair Deal scheme, provides financial support towards the cost of long-term nursing home care. Under the scheme, people who need nursing home care have their income and assets assessed, and then make a contribution towards the cost of their care based on their assessment. Fair Deal scheme IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Committee chair Teresa Roche said that the information webinar is an important opportunity for farm families to familiarise themselves with the Fair Deal scheme and the conditions to qualify for the three-year cap on farm assets. 'Understanding how the Fair Deal scheme applies to farm assets is a major concern for many farming families. 'This webinar aims to provide clarity, answer common questions, and support families in navigating what can be a complex and emotional process,' she said. 'We know that planning for the future of the farm is something many families worry about. By working closely with the HSE, this webinar will help farm families make informed decisions while accessing the supports they need,' Roche added. The information session will include an expert speaker from the HSE. The topics which will be covered on the night include: How the Fair Deal scheme works; The three-year cap on farm assets; Criteria for family successor exemptions; Planning for nursing home care while protecting the family farm. The IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chair said that all are welcome to attend the webinar. Registration is available through the IFA website.
