Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I remind Deputy Ó Caoláin that the provision of an additional €1 billion can hardly be described as a cutback. I hope the resources being invested in the health system will solve all the problems in that sector.

The Deputy made a point about beds and facilities. He said that people should be able to access step-down places. Nobody has said that the controversy about nursing home charges has caused the problems mentioned by the Deputy. The Tánaiste made the point, which I had made previously, that hospitals have argued that people are now less inclined to leave acute hospitals to go to nursing homes. That phenomenon has been reported by nurses — I presume they have also mentioned it to Deputy Ó Caoláin. I assure the Deputy, if he is interested in what we are doing rather than me giving anything else, that people are starting to receive the special home care packages to enable them to leave hospitals. Some 500 step-down places are being provided by the private sector and nursing home places for long-term stays will soon be contracted.

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