Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

This gives politics a bad name in the same way this is giving nursing homes a bad name, which in some cases is not deserved.

The crux of the problem is that most elderly people do not wish to spend their final days in a nursing home. If there were proper back-up facilities for carers, fewer people would spend their latter years in nursing homes. Given their experience, elderly people in family homes could be a big asset to communities, families, children and grandchildren. If a proper carer's allowance system was put in place, there would be less need for nursing homes and it would reduce the problem with regard to nursing homes. We would have a better society, better communities and better families, but it is up to the Government to provide the necessary funds for the 110,000 carers who are caring for people in their own homes. This would encourage more people to care for their elderly relatives in their own home.

I dealt with a case this week of a lady who came home from England to mind a very sick relative. Because she was on a pension from England of €100 a week, she qualified for just €61.10 of a carer's allowance. That person is minding her family member for a miserable €61 a week for 365 days a year. If a proper carer's allowance was available to members of such families, more elderly people would remain in their own homes and we would have a better society.

The ball is in the Minister of State's court. Before he left, the Minister of State, Deputy Lenihan, read the regulations which indicated that inspections should be carried out every six months. This is what should be done. The Ministers of State, Deputies Power and Lenihan, are in Government. They should solve the problem by having inspections carried out every six months. If this is done, the second inspection will be without notice. Because inspections are carried out just once a year in less than half the nursing homes in the country, the health boards are obliged to notify the nursing homes of the inspections. This is not a real inspection, it is just examining the books. To have a real inspection, it would have to be without notice. If the Minister of State applies the criteria laid down, we will have a better society for everyone.

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