Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody who has presented. I will follow on from what we were talking about. The 2012 strategy effectively has not worked. Has it brought forward or progressed matters? What are the most important things the witnesses wish to see in the new strategy? Have they been engaged with in the development of the strategy? Will they expand on the purchase scheme for buying in services from the private sector? I understand it is very difficult at present to get home care workers or carers, even in the private market. What else can be done to get more people to take up caring for people and become home carers? What incentives do we need?

I agree that the situation with regard to transport is absolutely desperate. We have nothing in place at present, and we continue to refuse to put anything in place. I received a reply to a parliamentary question reply about investment in public transport and how public transport will have disability-accessible vehicles, but we are talking about that happening over time. When one is living in a rural area, one does not have public transport.