Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I support this amendment. There are more ways to deal with this issue than to always use private enterprise. This is about ensuring the taxpayer gets value for money because, after all, this tax would otherwise be available to the Exchequer to be spent on things that need to be done. In the context of this amendment and the previous two, there is a need to ensure that anybody getting tax relief for charitable donations or providing accommodation gives value to the State. These amendments are a way forward.

It is one way of doing it, but would it not make more sense to direct tax reliefs towards Government policy? It is Government policy to support older people at home. It was referred to this morning. It is mentioned in the review document and in the health strategy. However, the practical application of the tax laws means that people are not encouraged to stay in their own homes or, when they can no longer stay in their own homes, to stay in their community. The Finance Act provides one way of ensuring that money is directed towards communities to allow them provide a local alternative which offers much better value for money. Even if it cost twice as much, it would be worth it because that is what people want.

Communities that support sheltered housing need support. A defined revenue funded scheme and a co-ordinated approach by the Department of Finance and other Departments are required to ensure that finance is available so that voluntary housing associations, of which there are several hundred, are able to employ sufficient staff to support people for longer in their own homes and also in sheltered housing.

The Minister might also consider introducing an alternative to the profit driven non-community nursing homes, which are essential when there is no community alternative and no public alternative. The Minister should replace the policy of supporting private enterprise by enacting Government policy and introducing a scheme to ensure that tax breaks are directed towards communities. There are hundreds of voluntary housing associations with charitable status who would be prepared to take on more sheltered housing. This would solve the problems of older people by enabling them to stay in their own homes and, when they can no longer do so, by enabling them to stay in the community. The voluntary housing associations could take on the higher support that is equivalent to nursing home care. However, for that to happen we need to make changes in legislation and in the circulars to allow capital assistance funds to be used for that purpose through the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Changes would also have to be made to allow communities to draw down subventions in the same way as nursing homes can.

These changes could be made with a stroke of the pen. They would make a major difference to people. At the moment the budget for social housing is not sufficient to realise what the Government has set down as the essential targets. A change of emphasis is needed. I admire the Minister for Finance as a man who is capable of deciding what he wants to do. I appeal to him to examine the community alternative for supporting older people at home. I support this motion which looks for value for money for the taxpayer. More needs to be done regarding the community alternative than merely paying lip-service to it. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children paid much lip-service to it in the Dáil the other day but the current state of affairs continues.

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