Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It should not happen. I compliment the previous Ombudsman, Mr. Murphy, and I wish him well in his retirement. My colleague raised the issue of people over 70 years of age having an entitlement to a State bed. The Government recently gave every person over 70 years of age a medical card. That means, as the former Ombudsman said, a millionaire or a billionaire has a right to a State bed if they are over 70 years of age. I pose a challenge to the Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, who was a journalist at one time. I hope she and her office will protect the elderly and ensure whoever is entitled to a bed gets it.

If the Minister of State is serious about the elderly, he might consider a simple measure which would not be a big cost to the State. The free fuel scheme only runs from October to April, but the time has come for the elderly to avail of it for every week of the year as there are only few weeks each year when elderly people do not need to light a fire. It is the one question which comes up on the doorsteps at every election.

The free travel pass is no good to elderly people in rural areas because there is no rural transport. Why can the Minister of State, along with the Department and the Department of Social and Family Affairs, not work out a scheme to provide vouchers whereby people could use taxis or hackneys to collect their pensions? If there was a problem, at least they would know they could telephone their taxi driver who would bring them to hospital or wherever.

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