Fianna Fáil Minister Catherine Murphy has expressed her displeasure at not being consulted by her party’s coalition government about proposed changes to the Fair Deal scheme. The proposal would see Fair Deal recipients keep their full rental income, a move that would make the scheme more attractive to property-owning seniors who may be considering moving into residential care. In this article, we delve into Murphy’s concerns about the proposed changes, why she feels she wasn’t consulted, and why this could spell trouble for the delicate coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
A key component of the Irish government’s deal to gain support from independent TDs prior to a Dáil vote has been criticised by a Fianna Fáil minister. The government intends to permit individuals residing in nursing homes to retain 100% of their residential rental income, a move designed to free up more vacant properties for the rental market. However, Minister for Older People Mary Butler expressed disappointment at the decision and highlighted several concerns. Butler argued that the current policy for individuals to retain 60% of rental income, with 40% going towards care, should be maintained, adding that she believed a review of the policy would take place next month.
Butler, who works in the same party as Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, also raised concerns that individuals living in nursing homes may be vulnerable or suffer from dementia, making it more difficult for them to manage their properties. “We have 70% of people in nursing homes that have dementia, there would be capacity issues, they don’t want to be landlords,” she said. The minister also claimed that a premature entry of individuals into nursing homes could arise if the rental allocation was reduced to zero, and expressed doubts that a decrease in the amount of rental income would lead to more available properties.
The government agreed to eliminate remaining barriers in the area in its countermotion to a Sinn Féin motion to extend the evictions ban, using the same language as the Rural Independent Group in a list of amendments it wanted put in place. However, Butler’s intervention raises questions about the extent of the work done on policies to mitigate the end of the ban before they were announced, and the prospect of internal strife in the coalition.
Although the rules were slightly relaxed last November to allow residents to retain more rental income, only 24 people have taken advantage of the change since then. According to Butler, the current plan was always to review the changes this April. She argued that retaining a home was a significant factor in many residents’ decisions to enter nursing homes, as many individuals had adult children living at home who were vulnerable or who had Downs Syndrome. Butler believes the Fair Deal scheme should prioritize the 22,500 people residing in nursing homes.
Butler’s comments have raised questions about the government’s policies and potential conflicts within the coalition. She expressed disappointment that she wasn’t contacted about the policy changes beforehand and argued that the issue warranted further discussion. The government must now carefully consider the concerns raised by Butler and ensure that any policy changes benefit the wider population while respecting the needs of the elderly living in nursing homes.
