Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. As they were unable to attend on the last occasion, we agreed to issue a further invitation at a later date. At the meeting on 17 May, the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be addressing its 2016 accounts but I am sure members will want to discuss the fair deal scheme with them. If we invite Nursing Homes Ireland to meet us on the same day, I think that should be in a separate session for, say, one hour prior to our meeting with the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Nursing Homes Ireland has raised issues regarding the cost of care in the private sector versus the cost of care in the public sector, as set out in the published HSE cost of care statistics for the various nursing homes. The committee could benefit from having some comparative informative in that regard, and on service delivery. Do members believe having such information would benefit them? There are a lot of people in the private nursing home sector whose costs are being met by the State and as such that cost is relevant to our work. Nursing Homes Ireland is not a cartel but it might be able to provide some information. I have no problem if members do not want to invite them in. I thought some members were of the view that the agency should be invited to appear before the committee. Would Deputy Cullinane like to comment?