The scheme had been scheduled to end today.
New Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced today (30 June) that the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme - which provides support payments to applicant nursing homes - has been extended to cover July, August and September. The original run of the scheme encompassed the last three months.
Speaking today, Minister Donnelly said: "While great strides have been made in the response to COVID-19, including further suppression of the virus in the community, I believe we must continue to provide support to nursing homes and contribute towards their continued planning, preparedness and response to COVID-19.
"Therefore, I am pleased to announce that I am extending the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) for 3 months, until the end of September."
The payment caps under the extended Scheme (July, August and September) are calculated as follows:
- €600 per resident per month for the first 40 residents
- €300 per resident per month for the next 40 residents
- €150 per resident per month for each subsequent resident
At the end of May, 900 nursing home residents had died due to Covid-19, a figure that would still represent over half of all Irish deaths by the end of July.
