Ireland · 2026 HSE price data
Nursing home costs in Ireland: fees, Fair Deal & 2026 prices
FairPath analysis of HSE Nursing Homes Support Scheme price lists, 3 July 2026.
*Public HSE cost-of-care figures and private/voluntary maximum agreed prices are published on different bases, so the two averages are not a like-for-like value comparison.
What does the weekly nursing-home price include?
The HSE publishes the full weekly cost or maximum agreed price for nursing homes participating in Fair Deal. If a person receives Fair Deal funding, this published cost is split between the person's assessed contribution and the HSE.
Fair Deal does not cover every optional extra. The HSE specifically notes that services such as hairdressing, some therapies and activities can be charged separately, so ask the nursing home for its contract and list of additional fees before deciding.
How much do you actually pay under Fair Deal?
For a single or widowed applicant, the published financial-assessment rules generally use 80% of assessable income plus 7.5% a year of assessable assets above the €36,000 asset disregard. For one of a couple, the corresponding rates are 40% of combined income and 3.75% of combined assets, with a €72,000 disregard.
The principal private residence is subject to the three-year cap. Once it has been counted for three years in care, it stops adding to the Fair Deal contribution. The nursing home's own approved weekly rate does not change the means-tested contribution; it changes the balance the HSE has to fund.
HSE worked example
€1,000 nursing-home fee does not mean a €1,000 Fair Deal contribution
In one HSE example, a single applicant has net weekly income of €240.30, no cash savings and a home worth €200,000. The HSE example calculates a weekly contribution of €428.78 during the first three years. At a nursing home charging €1,000 per week, the HSE pays the remaining €571.22 once funding is in place.
Which counties have the highest nursing-home prices?
County averages below use private and voluntary homes only, which makes the comparison consistent. Open a county to see every approved home and its weekly price.
Highest average prices
Search the full HSE nursing home price list and every county →
Common questions about nursing-home costs in Ireland
What is the average private nursing-home cost in Ireland?
In the current FairPath dataset, the average private/voluntary maximum agreed Fair Deal price is €1,306 per week and the median is €1,282.
Does Fair Deal pay the full nursing-home fee?
Fair Deal splits the approved cost. The applicant pays the contribution set by the HSE financial assessment and the HSE pays the balance, provided the contribution does not exceed the cost of care.
Do you pay more under Fair Deal for a more expensive approved home?
No. The HSE states that the amount the nursing home charges does not change the applicant's assessed contribution. The HSE's balance changes instead.
Are extras included in Fair Deal?
Not always. The HSE says short-term care and additional services such as hairdressing, some therapies and activities are not covered by Fair Deal and may be charged separately.
Prices are FairPath's analysis of the HSE Nursing Homes Support Scheme lists published 3 July 2026. Figures are full weekly costs / maximum agreed prices, not an individual Fair Deal assessment. FairPath is independent of the HSE and individual nursing homes.