Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I warmly welcome this amendment. Like Deputy O'Donnell, my experience is principally of the Milford Hospice, which is an excellent one. I do not know its bed capacity but it is certainly greater than 20. Hospices are different from private nursing homes. They have a particular focus. I have enormous admiration for the work of the hospice movement.

I was interested to see in yesterday's Evening Herald a socially progressive commentator welcoming the Minister's measure as having considerable potential and providing relief for the hospice movement. Therefore, we should not look at this measure through ideological spectacles. I accept that units need a certain critical mass but, like Deputy Finneran, I believe that requirement should be interpreted and implemented in a flexible manner——

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