David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also have visited them and I was impressed with the quality of life and the reports I got from the residents. They were happy because they were no longer lonely. They had companionship, friendship, community and fun and their lives had changed completely. This was in contrast to living on their own and heating their own house, which they did not need. There is a business model there for the business community and for the State to get involved in, and we have more and more people that would welcome it. It was mentioned that they are in their own community. A person could be living in a town and a centre could be built in the town, which is not institutionalised but is sheltered housing in some shape or form. There are different levels to that and I have seen them in other countries as well but we do not seem to have the impetus here to make them happen.

The witnesses' submission also stated that caring is not an attractive career choice. I put it to the witnesses that what is happening now is that as more workers have more care demands placed on them, it is impinging on business. Business is perhaps beginning to see that we need to do something else and this is why this report is so welcome. It is having an impact on business. I saw what Irish Life and Irish Rail have done. We should encourage more businesses to go down that route, to look at what Irish Life and Irish Rail have done regarding flexibility and encouraging people to share with their employers the stresses they are under at home. Employers can then understand if somebody needs to go quickly or needs flexible time and can work something out. Is that something that IBEC is pursuing as a policy objective amongst its members?