Mr. Niall Redmond:

As matters stand, if someone is not working a asset up to the time he or she goes into a nursing home, under the sudden illness and disability scheme provisions, he or she will not qualify to avail of the cap. To recognise certain situations, we have introduced a measure whereby one only needs to have been working it in three of the past five years. The reason for this is to address some of these issues but also to be clear on the fact that one has to show some intention. The real plan is that one will work the land or that one’s family successor will.

Again, it is one thing to look at one policy and its objective and another to look at another policy and its objective. We have to look at all of the consequences in dealing with these issues which are necessarily directly related. If one is talking about leasing, one is talking about something which is passive in terms of a person's involvement. A person leases land, but by default he or she does not have to do much with it. The issue is that potential applicants have a range of assets such as stocks and shares. All of their assets become qualifiable under the conditions of the scheme. That is one of the major dangers. One would end up getting to a situation where all assets would be capped. That would have a significant impact on the sustainability of the scheme.

Part of what we are trying to do is recognise some situations and deliver on the recommendations made in the 2015 review. At the same time, we have to be cognisant of the need to protect the scheme for what it is and its basic principles, as well as ensuring people can continue to be supported into the future. As I stated in my opening statement, we are conscious of the ageing demographics and what lies ahead. Anything that undermines the sustainability of the scheme is not good for citizens in a general sense.