Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. We hope to replicate that style of success by getting a statutory scheme of home care in place. Our priority is to get help into the communities and to let people live longer in the community and support them there. However, it must be put under statute. It is grossly unfair at present given how people can get access to hours in some parts of the country and cannot in others and how the level of service and oversight varies from area to area. We want to put it in a statute that applies across the board, but we must get that right.

The consultation will begin within a week. I can give that commitment. We will all be working together to try to bring that through.