The campaign by Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) calls for urgent reform of the Fair Deal scheme and said that 77 nursing homes closed since 2018 and over 2,800 beds lost.
The organisation is urging the public to press the Government in the general election to prioritise nursing home care for the public good.
The Fair Deal Scheme, established in 2009 to support residents requiring nursing home care, has failed to keep pace with rising operational costs, it said.
A 2023 PwC report revealed that while operational costs have risen by 36pc over the past five years, nursing home revenues have only increased by 17pc. This mismatch is putting the entire sector at risk, with devastating consequences for local communities and families across Ireland.
Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland said: “This is not just a crisis for the nursing home sector – it’s a problem for all of society.
“We’re seeing communities lose their local nursing homes, families forced to travel long distances to visit their loved ones, and vulnerable older people denied the care in their community they deserve.
“The Fair Deal pricing, in its current form, is simply not fit for purpose, and without urgent reform, we will continue to see closures that will have a profound impact on older people, families, and healthcare services.”
He said that while the Government has long acknowledged that Fair Deal pricing requires a review, it has consistently failed to deliver on this commitment. Despite a myriad of Department of Health reports over the years, the pricing review promised, has yet to be delivered.
Mr Daly said: “On average, private and voluntary nursing home residents receive €650 less per bed, per week than those in HSE/public nursing homes – amounting to an annual shortfall of €33,800 per resident. This significant funding gap is unsustainable, and unless addressed, more nursing homes will be forced to close, further reducing access to care in local communities.
“This isn’t just a sectoral issue – it’s a national one. We need to have a serious conversation about how we care for our older people, and it needs to happen now. The ageing demographic is not an abstract issue, it’s about all of us, and the care we or our loved ones will need in the future.
“Reforming the Fair Deal Scheme is not just about keeping nursing homes open, it’s about ensuring that every older person in Ireland has access to the care they deserve.”
Nursing Homes Ireland is calling for a national conversation about the future of nursing home and older person care. While the Fair Deal budget for 2025 has increased, NHI said it will continue to advocate for long-term, sustainable solutions to ensure no more nursing homes close their doors.
The organisation said the public can support this campaign by visiting www.nhi.ie/fixfairdeal to explore the timeline of promises and missed deadlines regarding Fair Deal reform. NHI is also urging voters to raise these concerns with their local TDs and General Election candidates.
