Nursing home finance Ireland for care home operators

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) agrees a maximum weekly price with each private and voluntary home, set out in a written agreement for a fixed term. Under the current agreement, the price is fixed for that term and the home cannot seek an increase until it ends. The price applies only up to the number of residents the home is registered for with HIQA, so plan any expansion around registration.

About €1,301 a week in June 2026, up from €1,291 in March, across 411 private and voluntary homes with agreed NTPF rates, according to BDO's analysis of NTPF data. Rates range from €1,223 in Leitrim to €1,407 in Dublin, so lenders look at your own agreed rate, occupancy and staffing costs rather than the average. A rate that doesn't keep pace with wages puts steady pressure on cash flow.

Most of your income depends on it, so timing matters. Empty beds, delays in new residents' approvals and the gap between a cost increase and your next price negotiation can all squeeze cash. Keep a monthly cash flow forecast by bed and payer. A working capital loan can cover short timing gaps; it is among the products our lender panel covers, subject to each lender's criteria.

Often, yes. HIQA registers and inspects nursing homes, and inspection findings or registration conditions can require works such as fire safety improvements, room changes or new equipment. An unsecured business loan can fund refurbishment and compliance works; lenders will look at your HIQA reports, NTPF rate and occupancy. Unsecured loans are among the products our lender panel covers, subject to each lender's criteria.

It can. Lenders read inspection reports, because non-compliance findings or conditions on registration affect the home's future income. If your report lists actions, show the lender your compliance plan, costs and timeline. A home must also stay registered with HIQA under the Health Act 2007, and remain an approved nursing home under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009, to keep its Fair Deal agreement, so registration issues are taken seriously.

Short-term funding can smooth timing gaps, such as agency cover over winter or back pay after a pay review, but it can't fix a permanent gap between your Fair Deal price and your costs. With the minimum wage due to rise to €14.94 from January 2027, model the effect on your rota now and raise it at your next NTPF negotiation. Lenders will want to see exactly how a loan will be repaid.

Buying another home or developing property is property finance, which Welcome Finance does not arrange: banks and specialist healthcare lenders fund it directly. Adding beds also needs a change to your HIQA registration before the extra beds can be filled. For fitting out and equipping new rooms in an existing home, an unsecured loan or equipment finance may help.

Yes. Nursing homes run heating and hot water around the clock, so heat pumps, solar PV and insulation can pay back faster than in many buildings. SEAI business grants may cover part of the cost, and the grant offer usually needs to be in place before work starts. The SBCI Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme offers an extra rate discount for green projects: you get an eligibility code from the SBCI, then apply directly to a participating lender.