Brian McEnery, head of Horwath Healthcare Consulting and adviser to the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation, said the controversial Nursing Home Care Support Scheme was focused on cost control rather than quality of care.

"I believe the quality of life for residents in long-term care settings will worsen under these provisions, unless the focus is changed.

Low-cost nursing homes which barely meet the inspectors' demands will make the most profit and that is wrong, " he said.

McEnery pointed to the formation of the new nursing homes inspectorate as one example of the flaws in the scheme.

The inspectorate will simply encourage nursing home owners to meet the minimum standards and will not reward those that "go the extra mile in providing exceptional care", he said.

"Exceptional care costs money. Good care revolves around providing extra staffing.

The cost of an extra nurse for a year is over Euro170,000.

Putting proper staffing levels on duty is what care is about, but there is no acknowledgement of this, " said McEnery.

"The failure to put quality of care at the top of the agenda is the reason why, postLeas Cross, there is a crisis of confidence in the sector.

These provisions will do nothing to alleviate this unless they are improved, " he said.