I thank my colleague Deputy Aylward for sharing time. It is with great pleasure I speak on the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill. There has been much fanfare on the opposite side of the House about this Bill and little evidence of the cross-party support which was on offer yesterday. Here we have a good news story but are still faced with negativity from the usual quarters.

We all have elderly relatives and hope we will not have to consider putting them into nursing home care. However, nobody knows what lies in the future or what disease will hit those for whom we care. Many families cannot provide the care required by their elderly, and some not so elderly, relatives. Not everybody is in a position to enjoy later life in the comfort of their family or family home. Some are struck by ill health and some have nowhere they can call home. Many of these people unfortunately also have financial constraints. All of these issues amount to a serious decision for many unfortunate families. An already difficult situation is often worsened by lack of finance, and this may be even more evident in these times.

As a nation we must look after these people in a coherent, consistent and fair manner. There have been problems in health in this country. We are trying to tease out those problems to ensure those in need of health care are catered for. Moving a relative into a nursing home is a moment dreaded by many, and the decision is often put off for longer than it should be. Many adult children feel it is their duty to return the care they received from their elderly parents, but sometimes they just cannot cope. Therefore I am glad to be associated with this Bill as it provides a way out for many families. Although economic turbulence exists, I am glad this Bill has remained a priority for this Government. This Bill will help ease upset and insecurity for many families and will provide new hope while removing the financial strain for many.

I have often been approached by constituents who are not in a position to pay for private nursing care, and public nursing care is scarce. The State provides 90% support for public nursing home care but only 40% of the cost for private nursing home care. This Bill will eliminate these discrepancies and the older person will be the outright winner. On a positive note, less than one in 20 over-65 year olds will have high dependency, that is approximately 25,000 people at present. The Bill also covers those under 65 needing long term care. This Bill is a fair deal for them. People of the same means around the country face different costs for nursing home care, which is often dependent upon where they live or whether their care providers are private or public. Unfortunately, this often led to families having to sell the family home in order to fund the care of an elderly relative and this caused undue hardship.

Irish people are renowned for the pride they have in their home. The saying "our home is our castle" is very apt in Ireland. Therefore the trauma of having possibly to sell the family home to fund nursing home care is very difficult. This Bill eliminates that worry with the introduction of ancillary State support whereby people will not have to sell their assets, such as their homes, to meet care costs. People will be able to defer contributions payable on Irish land-based assets for the duration of their lifetimes. There has been some scaremongering on this matter of late and it is necessary to put this right. This Bill will prevent people from having to sell assets to pay for care, which is sometimes the case for those in financial need. The HSE will recoup the money it pays through this ancillary State support in the event of the settlement of the person's estate. However, there will be exceptions to this, if there is a spouse or relative who depends on the assets after the death of the person who received the care.

One might argue this Bill was a long time coming but I am glad this Bill was not rushed through without capturing all the issues and addressing them. It is essential we address all issues and ensure fairness and consistency prevails. To qualify as a designated facility, care providers will have to meet stringent standards with a view to ensuring quality care. I again commend the Minister and Ministers of State involved in drawing up this Bill. I commend the Bill to the House and I am pleased finally to see it come to fruition for the betterment of those families most in need of support and care.

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