Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I do not know if the Taoiseach is aware that the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which the Government rushed through the House just prior to Christmas, has been deemed to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This has major implications in terms of how the Government has dealt with the elderly. It is clear that it has been unfair and inefficient in terms of ensuring that the elderly were cared for and provided for and not robbed of their pensions. There is a specific commitment to the elderly in the programme for Government which was not met. I refer here to the fact that 850 nursing home beds were to be provided by way of PPPs.

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