Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

She has agreed it. At the same time she is asking the 99 year old person to pay the extra amount. Another nursing home has a similar situation where a man has already got a bill for €500 for the first ten weeks of this year. It is absolutely disgraceful. Are the elderly being asked to bear the brunt of the cutbacks and the other problems at a time when the better off are being made even better off? Regardless of what the Minister of State has said all that has happened is that the ministerial salary increases have been postponed to September. I urge the Minister of State to ensure the situation is rectified. Some €110 million was transferred from this section to prop up the overall HSE, which is unacceptable when the aged are being ordered to pay for something to which they are entitled.

See this speech in context