10 PRIVATE NURSING HOMES PAID MOST UNDER THE FAIR DEAL SCHEME

ALZHEIMER’S CARE CENTRE, SWORDS ROAD, DUBLIN 9

HSE income in 2016: €7.037m

Residents: 144 Owners: Highfield Healthcare, part of an elder healthcare group founded by the Eustace family. The well-known medical family has been involved in mental healthcare for 200 years and developed a private hospital business on the grounds of the family estate.

Michael and Denis Eustace, a consultant psychiatrist, and John Eustace, are among the directors of the family businesses, while Andrew Eustace, who is also a psychiatrist, is clinical director of the Alzheimer’s Care Centre.

Worth: Highfield Healthcare’s accounts are not published but family company Sparantaus had an operating profit in 2015 of €1.4m, aftertax profit of €147,635, and shareholder funds of €1.73m. The accounts noted that the greatest risk factor was a “lack of suitably qualified nursing staff ” and “the need to service its financial liabilities”. The group has substantial development loans.

Last Hiqa inspection: Good standard of care delivered with “respect and cordiality”.

TLC CITYWEST, DUBLIN

HSE income in 2016: €6.03m

Residents: 139 Owner: Michael Fetherston, a low-profile businessman and hotelier who lives in Castleknock. The TLC nursing home in City West is one of four care centres in the TLC Group across Dublin and Kildare.

Worth: Abridged accounts for TLC Care Services Ltd put shareholder funds at €420,490, while staff costs across all of the centres were more than €14m. The related firm, TLC Centre Ltd, had shareholder funds of just over €3m and €921,141 cash in the bank. Fetherston’s controlling company TLC Consolidated is unlimited and not required to publish accounts.

Last Hiqa inspection: Good standard overall.

BENEAVIN HOUSE NURSING HOME, GLASNEVIN, DUBLIN

HSE income in 2016: €5.55m Residents: 150 Owner: Beneavin is one of five nursing homes in the FirstCare Group, owned by Mervyn Smith and his wife Georgina, who are based in Dun Laoghaire. Smith, one of the most well-known nursing home operators, recently addressed religious orders on care options for their ageing population. Worth: Beneavin House Ltd’s abridged 2015 accounts do not give profit, but put shareholder funds at €172,538, and cash in bank or hand at €2.4m. Shareholder funds for FirstCare were €651,984, down from more than €900,000 the previous year. Last Hiqa inspection: A safe centre with dignity and privacy respected.

RYEVALE NURSING HOME, LEIXLIP, KILDARE

HSE income in 2016: €5.14m

Residents: 131 Owner: Anthony and Eileen Gallagher and their children. The couple started the nursing home in the 1980s as a 13-bed unit and developed it into a lucrative business, which is run by Eileen Gallagher.

Worth: Accounts for 2015 show that the nursing home had shareholder funds of €9,408,063, including cash in bank or hand of €520,033 Last Hiqa inspection: A high level of compliance and a “high-quality service at the end-of-life stage”.

BRIDHAVEN NURSING HOME, MALLOW, CORK

HSE income in 2016: €5.11m

Residents: 157 Owners: A Cork couple, Paul and Mary Clare Rochford (pictured right), bought the nursing home in 2004 and expanded it over the years into the large operation it is today. Mary Clare, a nurse, is a former matron of the nursing home while her husband is its registered provider.

Worth: Bridhaven Nursing Home changed its status to unlimited, and is no longer required to file accounts. The last published abridged accounts for 2013 put shareholder funds at €877,459.

Last Hiqa inspection: Environment promotes wellbeing and autonomy of residents with dementia.

ST LUKE’S NURSING HOME, MAHON, CORK

HSE income: €4.94m Residents: 128 Owners: The nursing home is run by a registered charity, St Luke’s Home. Worth: According to its accounts, the nursing home’s income was €8.8m in 2015 but made a loss when operational overheads and staff costs were factored in. Last Hiqa inspection: Very good quality of care.

THE MARLAY NURSING HOME, KELLYSTOWN, RATHFARNHAM

HSE income: €4.92m Residents: 124 Owner: Brehon Care, an unlimited company, which lists its directors as Oisin O’Buachala, a well-known businessman who moved into healthcare from the car leasing business, and accountants and businessmen Paul McKeon and Declan J Lernihan. Shares in Brehon Care are held by two Isle of Manregistered companies, Kellystown Holdings and Marlay Holdings IOM. Worth: Brehon Care’s last abridged published accounts in 2011 put shareholder funds at €61,263. Last Hiqa inspection: A good standard of nursing care.

HAMILTON PARK NURSING HOME, BALBRIGGAN, DUBLIN

HSE income in 2016: €4.72m

Residents: 130 Owners: David Pratt, a Dublin businessman with interests in pubs, is the chief executive and main shareholder of the nursing home, which is 10 years old this year.

Worth: The nursing home made a profit of €577,619 in 2015. Equity shareholders’ funds were €2.2m. Rising labour costs were included as one of the risks, according to accounts for Hamilton Park Care Ltd.

Last Hiqa inspection: Effective management systems with good end-oflife care including accommodation for families at this stage.

LISHEEN NURSING HOME, RATHCOOLE, DUBLIN

HSE income: €4.9m Residents: 112 Owners: Lisheen Nursing Centre Unlimited, which lists its directors as Geraldine and Kevin Joy, who founded the business in west Dublin 23 years ago. Shares in the company are held by two Isle of Man-registered companies.

Worth: The company is now unlimited and not required to publish accounts. The last published accounts put shareholders’ funds at €2.31m in 2013 and a retained profit of €1.1m in the year to March 2012. Last Hiqa inspection: Staff are committed to providing a good standard of care. There was praise for the in-house dog, cat and budgie.

TARA WINTHROP NURSING HOME, SWORDS, DUBLIN

HSE income in 2016: €4.76m

Residents: 140 Owners: Tara Winthrop Ltd, of which six shareholders — all based in north Co Dublin or Co Meath — have been involved in the nursing home for more than 20 years. They include Joseph Harford, who is a businessman, former chairman of the ESRI, current chairman of Fingal County Enterprise Board and a board member of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; Sylvia Harford; Mary McCormack, who is managing director of the nursing home and is well-known for her charity work; Martin McCormack, Denis Galvin; and Rena Galvin. Worth: The nursing home made a profit of €1,107,418 in 2015, according to its accounts, which note that the company has maintained “excellent profitability levels in a challenging and rapidly changing industry”. Last Hiqa inspection: Good standard.