Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

Other speakers referred to facilitating older people in the family home. It is not easy because of the high percentage of people in employment. No one is critical of this but we must assure those who work that care of the older person is being provided in the home. This is not the case at present. I know of some people who have not been paid for the home care package for four weeks. What good is a home care package if it is not efficient and streamlined? This is a stumbling block.

At local authority level, major problems exist with the disabled person's grant and the essential repairs grant. In many instances, insufficient staff are available to investigate the problems and consultants must be employed for this purpose. Small builders, who would do the job out of friendship, are losing out. Everyone involved must endure months of waiting, agony and torment. The person who needs the repairs is unfortunate because he or she could not afford it originally, everyone is on the builder's back because of the bills accumulated and the public representative is trying to co-ordinate matters but failing.

This process should be streamlined because it is not working efficiently. The application for the disabled person's grant must be submitted to the council and be referred to the Health Service Executive, the medical director of services, back to the council and then to the engineer before the applicant must seek three quotations. The council must then choose one of the bids before informing the applicant that work can proceed. Forests in South America are in danger because of the amount of paperwork involved in the disabled person's grant and the essential repairs grant. The person most worried of all is the senior citizen who cannot enjoy retirement without the necessary facilities. This Bill will create problems for everyone because taking the family home into account for assessment creates the doubt that the owner may not be able to pass it on to a family member and keep the family tradition in the community. The family home is one's kingdom and should never be considered in a means test. I hope common sense will prevail and that after Committee and Report Stages, the home will remain the pearl in family life. There should be no threat to the family home. It is unbelievable that the family home is under threat to protect a senior citizen or provide for a senior citizen in a long-term nursing home. The mind boggles.

I hope mechanisms are put in place to access the disabled person's grant and the essential repairs grant. The HSE team that carries out necessary repairs could be increased to meet the demand for the disabled person's grant and the essential repairs grant. The team is very helpful to senior citizens. Streamlining this process and providing a home care package would represent value for senior citizens. These people have worked hard to provide for us and we will wish for the same level of care when we reach that age. I hope we will never see the family home considered as part of a means test of any payment.

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