Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I will make a few small points. The fair deal scheme comes under the curtilage of the Department. There are many strands to the Department but many people with houses with defective concrete blocks, and this is in the realm of the Minister for housing, Deputy O'Brien, cannot avail of fair deal to any meaningful effect because those defective concrete blocks affect the value of their homes. I spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, about this. It is just something the Department needs to advise on. A whole set of data are available to the Government. The Minister for housing has most of it, but many of these people are elderly, are moving on in life, and have health issues. They need to be in a nursing home, yet they are effectively locked out of them. I would love the Minister to scrutinise that and for the Department to look at ways of unlocking that because it is denying many people the care they need in their later years.

There is no time limit, Chair. I have a final issue.