Fair game?
Over €1 billion will be spent under the Fair Deal scheme. Are taxpayers getting value for money, asks Susan Mitchell, Health Correspondent.
Twenty years ago, the private sector had no significant role in the care of the elderly. Now, however, private providers care for about two in every three people in nursing homes around the country. News that the HSE is to close as many as 900 beds in public nursing homes and increase the number of people supported under the Fair Deal nursing home scheme - in which the state and individuals contribute to the cost of care - means that the private sector has a clear opportunity to plug the gap.
Independent journalism every day
With digital access you can read The Business Post whenever, wherever, and however you want.
- Unlimited access to all sections of The Business Post on desktop, tablet and mobile.
- Breaking news, comment and analysis from the best Business Post writers seven days a week.
- Live blogs of major news events
- Videos and podcasts from some of the industry's most respected journalists such as Tom Lyons, Susan Mitchell and Ian Guider
- Access to The Business Post's extensive archive
