Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not inappropriate to once again use the word "bizarre" in respect of this situation. When the signalled €750 million in cuts in terms of the current year first presented on top of €1 billion in cuts in 2011, I and other voices indicated at this committee and on the floor of the House that it was unsustainable and that our population's needs were going to run contrary to the Minister's approach. This has proven to be the case.

The backdrop to the Minister's further cuts of €130 million last August was a dogged refusal on his part to accept that the situation was unsustainable. Despite repeated denials and a dogged rejection of the concerns of this and other Deputies, the Minister is now before us with a €360 million Supplementary Estimate to prevent services collapsing before the end of this month. Of the €130 million in cuts that the Minister announced at the end of August, one of the smallest elements, but by far and away the most notorious, involved the 450,000 hours cut in home help hours and a €1.8 million cut in home care packages.

I am willing to support this Vote because I recognise that it is needed. I am using the opportunity to appeal to the Minister once again to recognise the serious pain, fear and discomfort that has been caused across the State as a result of those particular cuts. I ask the Minister to use a small element of the €360 million provision to reverse those cuts and to restore the home help hours and home care packages. This is the very least that should be done. They should be restored to pre-budget 2012 levels.

I wish to ask a couple of questions regarding the Minister's press conference last week. In the statement by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, she said that there was a commitment, and I have examined the press statement-----