Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I beg the Minister of State to back away from one of the most draconian measures since I was elected to this Houses, which is not today or yesterday. Whatever the reasons behind it, this legislation will split families. Heretofore house ownership had been sacrosanct. Many people aspire to owning a house. When people spend a lifetime working to own a house and arrive at the most vulnerable stage, is it right that someone else will own part of the house if they must enter a nursing home? I suspect that an increasing number of Fianna Fáil backbenchers will have nothing to do with this. I do not know if the Progressive Democrats are driving this but I can provide a guarantee from the Opposition benches. This legislation will never be implemented in this country and there is a good reason for that. It runs against principles held by every party and every group in society. What one has, one owns.

In the past, an elderly person would sign the house over to a son or daughter. Included in the agreement was a room in which the elderly person could live. There were many rows in rural Ireland over this. The elderly people could not be put out of the house but had to endure a living hell within. Every family is entitled to own the kingdom, which is the family home. Many elderly people believe this Bill is a fait accompli and that this measure will happen regardless of the Bill being enacted. Retired groups and everyone who has an understanding of the principles we value oppose this legislation. Before the year is out I hope the Minister of State will be in Opposition.

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