Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have had great debates during the years about charging people in nursing homes and certainly did not cover ourselves in glory in that episode in terms of whether people had been illegally charged for many services for a very long time. We must accept that many people in HSE care or care services provided and supported under the nursing homes residential scheme of 2009 are not in receipt of their full cohort of therapy services such as speech and language services, physiotherapy and many other ancillary supports. Nursing Homes Ireland makes the point services are under huge pressure. We do not have enough speech and language therapists and physiotherapists and certainly do not have enough physical therapist hours in nursing homes throughout the country. That is a source of grave concern for the advocacy groups and people in general. Older people in nursing homes are in the care of the HSE and making a contribution to the cost of their care through their pension payments and other forms of funding. At the same time, what I would consider to be basic medical services such as physical therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy services are not being provided. The Department of Health and the HSE would want to be very conscious of their obligations in ensuring these supports are made available. I am not the only one who is saying it. It is also being said to us by people who have family members in nursing homes and making contributions to avail of private physiotherapy services. While the Minister is saying this will not result in additional costs for individuals, additional costs could be brought to bear by the HSE and others to provide basic medical supports and services for individuals in nursing homes.