Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin:

I assure Deputy Colreavy that I will take on board the points he makes and I understand his point on the need to ensure we do not cause any further distress to the client groups to which he refers.

On the administrative versus statutory route, the former is usually the preferred methodology for introducing certain schemes. Historically, there have been many administrative schemes across the health and social services setting. The alternative is a statutory scheme. The difficulty we face is that we have a set of unusual circumstances in that the Ombudsman is correct that the Equal Status Acts must be complied with. That is the position in which we find ourselves. We will make every effort to consult all those involved and ensure that we seek the maximum level support from the sector for whatever solutions are evolved.