Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We will disagree on this and I will not dwell on it. I believe it is unfair. The Minister of State has given an example of someone who is two years in a nursing home. I am talking about people who are four or five years in a nursing home and have built up substantial arrears. While those people will not have to pay for the cost of the family farm or business going forward, where they have accrued these substantial arrears since the Government decision in July 2018, they will still be forced to sell the family farm or business or part thereof because of the delay in drafting this legislation. There are ample precedents where legislation has been backdated to the date of the Government decision. I ask that families who, in July 2018, had already accrued the three years or who accrued them between that date and now would be able to avail of the relief rather than having to pay a substantial debt to the nursing home or the HSE. It is wrong they are caught in that position.