Deputy Séamus Healy:

It is a very important matter and is a vital factor for health services in this country. I welcome the Minister's acceptance that hospital services have been cut to the bone and reduced by 21%. I wish to ask him two specific questions. He has said there will be no cuts to home helps without a full assessment. What is meant by a full assessment? From what I am hearing on the ground and from people who have contacted me regularly, there is no assessment.

The assessment for the fair deal scheme was normally done by a collaborative arrangement through an assessment committee. A further tier of assessment has now been added to this, which is called a comprehensive geriatric assessment. More and more people are being referred to this particular assessment for approval or otherwise. I have heard of people as old as 99 years of age being referred for it. Apparently, it is a three hour assessment done by geriatricians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists for an individual of 99 years of age.