Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to do it. What we were able to do was put an extra €10 million into home care packages and home help services. Some 54,000 people in the country get home help services and just under 10,000 people are in receipt of home care packages. My priority and that of the Government is to continue to support people in living at home.

Deputy Burke mentioned the reference in the Government's amendment to the motion to the fair deal. Some 39 applications to the fair deal have been refused and just under 11,000 have been approved. Some 4,000 are currently in application. Of almost 11,000 that have been granted, 39 have been refused.

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