Nursing Homes Ireland Seeks Meeting with Minister for Health on Discriminatory Pay Agreement
Thursday March 13, 2025Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has today written to the Minister for Health seeking an urgent meeting regarding a pay deal signed off this week by the Workplace Relations Commission for organisations funded under health legislation. The agreement has again excluded and discriminated against staff in private and voluntary nursing homes as the continuing cycle of home closures continues.
NHI has said the Government’s Nursing Home Support Scheme run by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which funds private and voluntary nursing homes, should be resourced to in-build the provisions of the agreement into its funding for private and voluntary nursing homes.
Tadhg Daly, CEO of the NHI said the deal was a blatant disregard for staff in private and voluntary nursing homes which provide 80%-plus of nursing home care in Ireland. “Worse again Section 4.1 of the agreement commits to addressing pay parity issues across the healthcare sector but no provision has been made for the private and voluntary sector to do this. This section acknowledges pay for some workers in community and voluntary organisations has fallen behind equivalent public sector roles and it is imperative that this is addressed by the Minister for Health.”
“The agreement compounds a long history of discrimination against private and voluntary homes, with an outlandish disparity between the funding for public nursing homes versus private and voluntary ones. It is unjust and immoral and the latest agreement reinforces a long-standing inequity facing nursing home care staff, who provide essential services to older people and vulnerable individuals. Private and voluntary nursing homes account for over 80% of nursing home care provision in Ireland, yet their staff remain unfairly denied the same recognition and remuneration as their counterparts in the broader health and social care sector, particularly those in public settings.”
“Nursing home staff are vital nationally and deserve equal recognition and fair remuneration in all settings whether private, voluntary or public healthcare settings,” said Mr Daly. “The failure to include them in this pay deal is unacceptable and reinforces a long-standing inequity. It is imperative that the Government, and all relevant stakeholders, act now to address this disparity. Ensuring pay equity is not just a matter of fairness but is crucial for retaining and motivating skilled nursing home staff and sustaining high-quality care for some of Ireland’s most vulnerable individuals.”
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview with Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, please contact Kevin Deegan, NHI Policy and Communications Lead, at [email protected] or 087 236 3039.
About Nursing Homes Ireland
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 leading voice of nursing home residents and NHI members, 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.