There are calls on the Government to examine State spending on HSE nursing homes.

Nursing Homes Ireland says HSE figures show that, in some instances, the Health Service Executive is paying its nursing homes up to seven times more than fees being paid to private and voluntary counterparts.

Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, explains how this differential is possible.

He said: “The differential is possible because the HSE manage and run the Nursing Home Support scheme, but under the legislation private nursing homes have to negotiate the fee on an annual basis.

“Whereas the HSE, because they manage the budget, they basically in effect manage the budget for their own facilities seperately than the amount that they give to the private and voluntary sector.

“And what this is leading to is a discriminatory practice, in our view.”