Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I support the Fine Gael motion. We need to revisit the legislation whereby the Minister no longer has responsibility to answer to the Deputies of this House. With the abolition of the health boards, public representatives have no way of getting answers. The Minister of State's colleagues will tell him that their parliamentary questions to the Minister for Health and Children are sent to the HSE, which can take up to six months to reply. Members from all sides are elected with the expectation that we can get answers on behalf of our constituents, but we are not getting answers.

I wish to deal with two specific issues in my contribution. The first concerns the enhanced nursing home subvention, which is available to the elderly in nursing homes or those waiting to go into nursing homes who have no income other than the social welfare pension. An elderly person in my constituency applied for enhanced nursing home subvention in November 2005. I will provide her name to the Minister of State following my contribution. She received correspondence from the HSE stating that she had been put on a waiting list. The letter stated:

Dear . . . your letter dated the 14th of November 2005. In reference to the payment of enhanced nursing home subvention in respect of the above named, I am to confirm that [the woman] has been placed on a waiting list for consideration for the payment of enhanced subvention as and from the 15th of November 2005. This section will contact you in writing when payment of enhanced subvention can be considered in this case.

The family of this unfortunate woman contacted me after Christmas to ascertain whether I could discover where she was placed on the waiting list. I contacted the HSE southern area and to my amazement was told that she was 452nd on the waiting list for enhanced subvention.

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