Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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This committee can be powerful in the current politics in bringing forward issues such as the admissions Bill and getting broad cross-party support. I will get more detail on this.

On the final comment, I am delighted that it was noted that we need to up our game to deal with congregated settings because we have managed to get €100 million over five years, which is €20 million a year. I feel we need to do a hell of a lot more. We have bought 50 houses in the past seven or eight months to bring people into smaller residential settings but I have also had colleagues in the House give out to me for taking people out of congregated settings and implying we are forcing them out of places and services. That is not true. Everything is being done in consultation with the person with the disability and the family. There are people in institutions at the moment who should not be there. I was with Deputy Ó Caoláin in Monaghan recently where there are absolutely no congregated settings. Every person with an intellectual disability there lives in a small community house which houses three or four people attended by staff. There are examples of good practice also and that is the direction in which we should go. I thank the Chairman for this morning. I appreciate his work.