Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I am pleased to speak on this matter. The Minister for Finance has carried out many good actions in the budget. Unfortunately, free travel for emigrants on their holidays has not yet been delivered by this Government. From feedback I have received, I believe it to be very important. The task force report on our emigrants highlighted this issue as something near and dear to the hearts of our emigrants. When these people return here on holidays, they feel they would belong more if they had free travel. The Minister should examine this issue again, although I know he previously precluded the possibility on the grounds of EU law because he cannot discriminate against other citizens. The point is there is a common travel area which is recognised. I hope the Minister will continue to work at this matter, as it is extremely important.

I acknowledge the contribution made by the Government towards the Safe Home programme, which is the national repatriation organisation in Ireland. The Department of Social and Family Affairs, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs, must be recognised as having given good Government support. Several hundred emigrants, who would not otherwise have been able to return, have been brought back to secure accommodation throughout Ireland.

A disappointment in the budget concerned the defined revenue funding scheme. This was for people in social housing and was an issue that was being examined by the Government on a cross-departmental level. I met the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Seán Power, together with Donal McManus of the Irish Council for Social Housing, and it was disappointing that only €500,000 was allocated for 2006, with an equal amount for 2007. That money is for approved sheltered housing schemes. The amount granted for last year was €428,000. It had been calculated that €2.5 million would be needed this year, and €500,000 is far short of this.

This gives the wrong message to communities. Although I recognise the existence of home care packages etc., the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has given the wrong message in that she has put €28 million more in funding into supporting profit-driven and non-community nursing homes. That total is more than €140 million now. The Government should be doing more for not-for-profit and community focused sheltered housing initiatives which keep people in the community. There are 7,000 sheltered housing and group home units, and the funding would amount to €1.40 per week, which is very little when one considers the wonderful work being done in supporting people in their own community. It would be best to be in one's own home but sheltered housing helps when this is not possible.

The wrong message has been given out to the voluntary housing associations which do good work. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs may wish to support the development of sheltered housing but the opposite message is being given out. The Minister should have a word with his colleague in the Department of Finance, and the issue of the defined revenue funding scheme might be addressed in the Supplementary Estimates. People should be allowed to stay at home; otherwise frail and elderly people are being driven into profit-driven non-community nursing homes. People would much prefer to be in their community with their friends and families. I welcome the home care packages, which are a positive development and are a step in the right direction. However, the Minister for Health and Children has missed a golden opportunity to recognise the good work done by voluntary housing associations.

The capital funding limits for social housing have not been raised. There has been no increase in the amount allowable per unit since 2002. This is a mistake which has stunted the growth of sheltered and voluntary housing. There is an immediate need to increase the capital funding limits for social housing. This would be a clear statement to people involved that the work being done is valuable. It would also signal that the Government agrees with what these people are doing and wishes to see more of it. There is a great opportunity to be taken in future and I hope the Minister for Social and Family Affairs will talk to his colleagues in the Department of Health and Children and in the Department of the Environment and Local Government about the issue. Elderly people throughout Ireland do not have the benefit of social housing. This is a missed opportunity. Other opportunities have been missed too, for example, a helicopter emergency medical service, which has been discussed for a long time.

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