Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

-----to make this announcement because it is an appropriate place for him to do so. I hope this will prove to be the pattern in the future. However, it must be asked why it was necessary to suspend approvals. What was achieved by this other than the creation of real distress among many older people and their supporting families?

I note that charges for acute beds in public hospitals are to be increased. That is bad news for patients. However, I welcome the announcement that recently increased fees paid to private nursing homes by the HSE are to be renegotiated. I commend that action.

When the legislation providing for the fair deal scheme was on Second Stage I contributed to the debate. I reiterate my party did not support the Bill at that time because we believed it was a move away from universal entitlement, of which the Minister has been an advocate. I do not see now, and did not then, that it is a rights-based scheme. It is not comprehensive in terms of providing the wide range of care older people require and is no substitute for comprehensive, State-provided care for older people, including fully resourced and supported care for people in their homes in the community and, where necessary, in nursing homes.

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