Mr. John Horan:

Some people might call it foot dragging; others might call it being thorough to make sure that everything is covered. I will run through it quickly. The stakeholders that were consulted under this review include the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform; HSE services for older people; HSE disability services; HSE estates; HIQA; Age Action Ireland; the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; the Office of the Ombudsman; Nursing Homes Ireland; a number of individual nursing homes; Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank investors; the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund; our own solicitors, Philip Lee; and a consultant geriatrician. We are being exhaustive and thorough.

There was mention of the review that was carried out on the fair deal scheme. It states: "In considering the financing of the scheme, the review concluded that the National Treatment Purchase Fund has done an effective job in introducing and managing a pricing system for long-term residential care facilities." We have done a good job and got a system up and running. It is working well. It might be possible to improve on it and we are going through a precise and thorough process to ensure that if we change the system, we come up with something that will work and that will improve the system for everyone involved.