Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I ask the Taoiseach to make himself aware of the Peter McKenna case. I think he will be as appalled as I am at what happened. I ask him to commit to the publication of the report by Mr. Martin Hynes. That report was in the possession of the people who are now proclaiming to be shocked. To state that we were duped on the supervision and invigilation of nursing homes is not exactly much of a defence.

Can I raise with the Taoiseach his assertion to Deputy Kenny that he has done so much for old people? He instanced carer's allowance and home help. The committee chaired by my colleague, Deputy Penrose, which reported on 27 November 2003 and which was subscribed to and signed up to by the Taoiseach's Deputies, recommended the abolition of the means testing for carer's allowance. This would provide the opportunity for more people to be cared for in their own homes, which is their preference. There has been no response from the Government on that issue.

The Taoiseach instanced the case of home help. Is he aware that the hours of home help are being cut in different parts of the country? Is he aware, for example, that when the people who perform the home help service had to be paid the minimum rate, what the health boards did was reduce the hours? They paid them the statutory minimum rate. Because they were women and because they were doing "menial work", which is a terrible description of the invaluable service they provide, they were paid buttons. Now they are paid the minimum rate and the Government cut the hours. For example, there is a 40% cut in north Kildare and a 20% cut in south Kildare. I have figures for different parts of the country. That is what is happening in Celtic tiger Ireland and at the same time, the Taoiseach is telling Deputy Kenny to look at what he did on home help and carer's allowance.

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