Mr. Michael Harty:

No sector is regulated. Unfortunately, there is no regulation whatsoever within the home care sector. We are regulated from the point of view that in the context of any work we do on behalf of the HSE through the home-care package scheme, we must adhere to internal HSE standards. Our members also have their own internal standards. Before any organisation becomes a member of the HCCI, it must undergo an independent audit by an independent third party in order to ensure it reaches those standards. One of the big issues within the sector is the fact that there is no regulation.