Ms Catherine Keogh:

I see a very real threat to the service at the moment, that is, the fact that the HSE is already unable to fulfil people's needs and giving 10 million hours a year to the private, for-profit sector. As everyone has said, the difference between wages is the profit the private sector has to make. If the HSE does not resource the sector properly with the willingness of the Government, Sláintecare, the Department of Health and so on, we will see that happening. One thing that worries me about nursing homes is that there were some obvious tax incentives that made the area a very lucrative one in which to invest for a long time.

This is why it is so important that this conversation is happening now. We need to resource the sector properly through direct labour to ensure there is no opportunity for the private sector to tell an organisation that it is on a statutory footing, that it will provide statutory home care to every person in the country over 18 years of age now that such a right exists, and that people should not worry about getting it. That is why we are so delighted to be here today to raise these issues. It is vital that we move on this now. I will again echo what Mr. Donnelly said. Sláintecare is the way forward. That is our view.