Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The fact that there are problems in this particular case is part of the wider issue I have acknowledged in terms of making rehabilitation services generally available and as good as people would like and expect them to be. I am aware of many instances where things work out very well. Perhaps the Deputy knows such examples also. One should not characterise the fact that there is a problem to mean that the system does not work at all. There is obviously a particular issue here with which I am not au fait. Deputy Gilmore mentioned the fact that, unfortunately, the housing was not available last year and therefore the money that would have been allocated for the care of those people went to someone else who was awaiting service in some other area, and that the situation repeated itself this year. I do not seek to suggest that there are adequate reasons the issue has arisen in these particular cases. It would be remiss of me to say that, but obviously there is a need to try to address the issue and solve the problem as quickly as possible. I know what the Deputy has had to say about it.

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