New €10m. energy support scheme for private and voluntary nursing homes

MAYO Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon has welcomed a new €10 million Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme (TIPS) to support private and voluntary nursing homes with costs of energy inflation.

The scheme was launched by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, and private and voluntary nursing homes that have an agreement with the National Treatment Purchase Fund for Fair Deal can apply for this additional support for July to December 2022.

Each nursing home can apply for up to €31,500 in vouched energy increases.

They can claim for heating and electricity increases of up to €7,000 per month, with 75% of year-on-year cost increases to be reimbursed up to a maximum payment of €5,250 per month per nursing home, backdated to July 1 last.

The aim of the new scheme is to alleviate pressures put on nursing homes by an increase in energy prices.

It will run in parallel to the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) Covid-19 Outbreak Assistance which has been extended to the end of the year, and has seen over €145 million made available to date to support nursing homes

Said Deputy Dillon: “I are keenly aware of the financial challenges faced by the nursing home sector locally here in Mayo in terms of inflationary cost increases, and government have worked to bring forward appropriate responses.

“I am particularly conscious that increased energy costs can often disproportionately affect smaller, family-run and voluntary nursing homes that do not have the same access to economies of scale as larger nursing homes. The purpose of these additional supports is to make sure viable nursing homes do not experience difficulties in delivering services due to the rise in energy costs.”

The scheme will be rolled out using a similar process to TAPS, which has been in place since the start of the pandemic. The National Treatment Purchase Fund will play a key role in administering the scheme.

Added Deputy Dillon: “The scheme will open for applications by November 11 at the latest and nursing homes will immediately be able to begin claiming for cost increases incurred since July, with increases calculated on a year-on-year monthly basis e.g., September 2022 energy costs in comparison to September 2021 energy costs.

“Nursing homes will be required to evidence relevant cost increases via bills, invoices or other relevant documentation.”