The NTPF arranges treatments for patients, provides independently assured waiting list information, develops systems and processes which contribute to health system reform, negotiates prices for nursing home care, and provides expert advice to the Minister for Health.
Additional Support Schemes
From time to time the Department of Health allocates resources in addition to core NHSS funding to support Nursing Homes.
The Nursing Home Residential Premises Upgrade Scheme (‘RPU scheme’)
The Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell T.D., has announced a new €10 million scheme to support eligible private and voluntary nursing homes.
The Nursing Home Residential Premises Upgrade (RPU) Scheme will provide funding towards structural works carried out in compliance with Regulation 17 (Premises).
About the scheme
This scheme is designed to support improvements to premises of private and voluntary nursing homes through the provision of funding towards structural and other works carried out in compliance with Regulation 17 (Premises) of S.I. No. 415/2013 – Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended).
This scheme is a vouched scheme which is open to all operational voluntary and private nursing homes registered with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) as of 1 January 2025 and in receipt of payment under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) for the provision of long-term residential care services. Applications from nursing homes not meeting these criteria will not be processed.
The Department of Health is responsible for all policy matters in relation to the scheme and will provide oversight of the scheme. The Department of Health will report to the Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell T.D., on the operation and progress of the scheme.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) will administer the scheme and make payments to the nursing homes. The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) will administer the application process and provide support and advice to the HSE.
All claims must be made for each nursing home facility on an individual basis.
Nursing homes may claim for works carried out this year between 1 January and 14 November 2025 and also for works undertaken during 2024, between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, that meet the scheme criteria.
Where a nursing home is making multiple claims, these claims should be submitted in no more than two applications where possible e.g. one claim for the period 2024 and one application for the period from 1 January 2025 to 14 November 2025. The closing date for receipt of applications is 14 November 2025.
Nursing homes whose applications are approved will have their payments processed and released on a quarterly basis by the HSE.
All works funded through this scheme must relate to improving compliance with Regulation 17 (Premises) as outlined above.
The Budget 2025 allocation of funding for this scheme is €10 million. The total maximum amount that can be claimed by an individual nursing home under this scheme is €25,000.
Further details of scheme rules are available on the RPU information document.
The Nursing Home Residential Premises Upgrade (RPU) Scheme Application Form is available as a download.
Queries should, in the first instance, be addressed to RPU@NTPF.ie