Legislation to reform parts of the Nursing Home Support Scheme has been listed on the schedule of official business for the upcoming spring 2021 session of the Dáil.

The government announced the legislative programme for spring 2021 today (Wednesday, January 13), in which the ‘Nursing Home Support Scheme (Amendment)’ bill (also know as the Fair Deal Scheme) was included among other pieces of legislation.

The government announcement was welcomed by Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill, the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

I very much welcome communications I have received this afternoon from the Chief Whip’s office in relation to the bill.

“The government has now committed to prioritising this key piece of legislation during the 2021 Spring Session of this Dáil,” he said.

“This is something that I know will come as a relief to many families who have been prevented from accessing the Fair Deal Scheme to date, and I would like to thank my colleagues in government for working with me on this issue for some time now,” the Fianna Fáil TD added.

Cahill had said late last year that he had received a commitment from Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that the legislation on the Fair Deal Scheme was “weeks away”.

Minister Varadkar had said that the legislation would be ready by the end of December, which appears to be the case if it has been listed as part of Dáil business for the next session.