Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A number of questions relate to very specific services so I will leave them to the national directors for comment. I will leave to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, the questions on the fair deal scheme and mental health services in St. Christopher's and St. Hilda's.

Children First, which is covered in question No. 14 by Senator van Turnhout, is in the mix for the services plan for 2015.

I do not know why the question might have been referred to another Minister. Children First is relevant not only to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs but also to areas such as education, health, sport and others. There are statutory obligations in this regard, and provision must be made in the service plan next year for appropriate training depending on people's jobs.

Regarding the hospice in the south east, it is the case that in other regions people engage in fund-raising for services such as nursing care. It is not the case that fund-raising in other regions relates only to matters of capital expenditure; it can apply to service elements too.