The Taoiseach has been asked to intervene in a crisis among nursing homes across the Shannonside region.
450 beds nationwide have been lost nationwide after private nursing homes closed so far this year- including dozens of beds after the closure of two facilities for older persons in Roscommon and one in Athlone in recent months.
TD Marian Harkin has appealed to Micheal Martin to amend and update the Fair Deal nursing home scheme in order to allow nursing homes compete with the prices paid at public facilities.
She claims that local nursing homes in this region are close to breaking point:
"It makes no sense that we are allowing nursing homes to close when our acute hospitals have ever-lengthening waiting lists and people waiting on trolleys in ED. You can fix this, Taoiseach, you can fix this overnight. Put in place a sustainable fair deal funding model, because nursing homes are a vital link the healthcare chain, and that chain is at breaking point".
