NHI Welcomes the Announcement of New Dedicated Funding for Additional Staff Training and Upskilling across the Nursing Home Sector by the Department of Health and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Monday June 29, 2026NHI Welcomes the Announcement of New Dedicated Funding for Additional Staff Training and Upskilling across the Nursing Home Sector by the Department of Health and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
29 June 2026: Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) welcomes the announcement made today by the Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell T.D., and Minister of State for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, Marian Harkin T.D., which has committed €2.4m in funding (over a three-year period) to support the development of a dedicated Certificate in Management for Nursing Home Staff nationwide.
The funding announced today will fund approximately 550 senior nursing management staff from across the nursing home sector to enrol in a specialist Certificate in Management. Each nursing home will be allocated one funded place, with approximately 180 places funded annually, starting in the academic year 2026/2027. This welcome new initiative will be managed on behalf of the Department of Health by LHP Skillnet and the Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD) in the HSE.
This funding will be available to the entire nursing homes sector (public, private, and voluntary) and will facilitate nursing homes to select one member of staff to undertake this professional qualification.
Welcoming the announcement of this new programme, NHI CEO, Tadhg Daly said:
“This welcome new funding programme has been developed thanks to ongoing collaboration between all relevant stakeholders, including Nursing Homes Ireland and the Department of Health. This new professional qualification will help to strengthen management and enhance the already high-level of care delivered across the nursing home sector, through the provision of additional training for the already expert staff that provide long-term residential care to over 32,000 people nationwide. This welcome new certificate in management follows the introduction of a similar training fund introduced in 2024 that supports the participation of nursing home staff in specialist gerontological nursing education, which was developed through a similar level of engagement and cooperation between NHI and the Department of Health. The provision of specialist professional certificates such as that announced today are a welcome advancement in how Government supports the dedicated and expert staff who provide nursing home care across Ireland. This support and recognition for Ireland’s caring and committed nursing home staff is vitally important, as we continue to prepare to care for, and celebrate, our ageing and growing population.”
ENDS
For Further Information | Ronan Lowther (NHI Policy & Communications Lead) | communications@nhi.ie
_
About NHI: Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) is the national representative body for the private and voluntary nursing home sector, encompassing over 440 nursing homes across Ireland, which provide care to over 27,000 people. Our mission is to actively support and represent our members, enabling them to deliver sustainable, high-quality care to their residents. As the voice of nursing home sector, we are dedicated to championing a care-first philosophy. We actively advocate for the rights and well-being of residents, while responding to the evolving needs and challenges faced by our members. Through this, we pledge to uphold our role as advocates, embracing the direct voices of those we serve and continuously striving to promote excellence in care.