Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Go raibh maith agat. With regard to the plight of people who have family members in nursing homes, has the Tánaiste come any closer to finalising the 'fair deal' Bill? Figures released earlier this week indicate that the average cost of nursing home care has risen to almost €800 per week. Under the fair deal Bill, the Government has proposals to subvent nursing homes but also intends to make arrangements to tax people's family homes, up to a figure of 15%, after the death of a person in care. We were promised that the Bill would definitely be published before last Christmas. We were then informed that it would arrive before Easter. Now it seems that it will appear some time this session.

What constitutional issues are delaying publication of the Bill? I am sure the Tánaiste is aware that families are suffering because they cannot make proper arrangements in respect of their relatives.

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