Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

The Minister of State has not considered the cost of living issues affecting many such people. The sum of €208 is cold comfort to most people in 2007. It is not as fantastic as the Minister of State claims. Inflation has far outstripped expectations over the past five years. If the Government were truly caring and generous, it might even have gone so far as to make the fuel allowance non-means-tested for those over the age of 70. It should do something constructive and positive for those we are discussing.

As health spokesperson, I can only look on with dismay at the mess the Government has made of health services. Leas Cross represents this Government's appalling legacy. I do not know why elderly people should believe that it can protect them in the five months before the election when it refused to do so for the previous five years. Members of the Government knew about Leas Cross and institutions like it five years ago. They knew what was happening but did nothing about it, and that is this Government's sad legacy regarding care of the elderly.

Living as we do under something more akin to a Fianna Fáil dictatorship rather than a democracy, there has been unbelievable collusion between Ministers and senior HSE officials in covering up an absolute scandal in the health services.

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