Mr. John Hayes:

I cover a fairly rural area in north-west Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, and Cavan and Monaghan where transport can be an issue. While we do not have a statutory requirement to provide non-emergency transport, we have funded a considerable amount of transport support across that area in Donegal in recent years. There is potential to expand some work here with the rural transport companies that operate whereby the HSE and rural transport companies could work more in tandem. We have been working with that model in Donegal for a number of years whereby all the non-emergency transport in the county is now organised and managed by the rural transport company with support from the HSE. That will not solve all of the issues of individual patients for individual appointments but it certainly has brought a substantial benefit whereby we have been able to maintain a good level of support and then, through the rural transport company and the National Transport Authority, to synchronise that with the free transport schemes that are available. That has extended into the areas of transport for renal dialysis as well.

Briefly, on the general policy around supporting people at home, I certainly would fully endorse the assertion that the objective is to support people to live at home for as long as possible and not encourage people to be-----