Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I wish to restate points made on earlier stages of this Bill that arise now. One cannot construe the family home as an asset. If the Government wishes to acquire tax revenue from those who own assets, why not pursue those who have multiple houses here and abroad? Instead, it pursues the main residence of a person of advanced years. It is going after the home as if it were simply an asset for disposal. I reject that.

It is time to accept the concept of universal provision, that one is entitled to home care as a citizen. The home is an accumulation of all one has experienced through life but because one is frail and dependent for a period between a few months and less than three years, the State has the right to grab part of the home.

As Deputy Connaughton states, it will be totally destructive. If any one of the exempted categories remain in the house they will have mitigated the State's clawback. What will be the relationship between the elderly people and the beneficiaries of the estate? One can project the nightmare it will create. This is misery and it is time it is stopped. I hope every Deputy — including those on the Government side — breaks rank and states that this is a push over the line from the Progressive Democrats, a party that is quickly evaporating, thankfully, from the Irish political scene. Hasten the day.

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