Ms Yvonne O'Neill:

I thank Dr. MacLellan and Senator Conway. Dr. MacLellan is right. We are basing this on the numbers available to us through the nursing homes support scheme because we do not have sight of the numbers who have an arrangement directly with the nursing home not funded through the scheme. There are about 1,330 under-65s. In direct answer to the question, I cannot tell the Senator the numbers who are currently inappropriately placed.

We are working in regard to the funding made available to offer alternatives to those in nursing homes under 65 who are fit to avail of those alternatives. We are working with the profile. There are complex cases. Some 50% of those are over 55 and 85% of the 1,330 are over 50. If we were to go on age, which could be a place to start, we would target the youngest. It is a piece of work that is part of the national service plan, NSP, we have agreed with Government with some funding this year.