Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Kenny will remember that it was decided that we should incorporate all the proposed legislative changes into the Health Information and Quality Authority legislation. I have announced many times that the legislation in question is being prepared. The inspectorate will be independent of the HSE, the group that provides the service, and that is one of the key issues.

At present, we are spending €150 million, the highest amount ever spent on the elderly, for whom there has been an unprecedented increase in services. Many of those resources have been put into home care support packages, with €55 million allocated for them in the last budget. They are based on 1,100 pilot home care packages, delivering a wide range of services. We have increased old age pensions, access to medical cards, carer's benefit, care leave, child carer's benefit and the carer's allowance means test threshold. That has all been very helpful. There have been increases in nursing home subventions. All that has gone to help with housing.

It is good that people focus on the elderly, as this Government has, having put enormous resources into building up capacities, capabilities and staffing to help them. The inspectorate is included in the new legislation and it will be independent. The resources are being spent.

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