Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government contained specific promises on the care of the elderly. It was stated that investment in the supply of more and better care for older people in the community and in residential settings would be a priority for this Government and also that the Government would provide additional funding each year for the care of older people with this funding to provide more residential places, more home care packages and the delivery of more home help and other professional community care services. The opposite has been the case with regard to the implementation of both the legislative commitments in the programme for Government and the policy commitments. There is currently a waiting list of 1,500 for the Fair Deal scheme. So far as I can see, all of the promises and commitments in the programme for Government have been reversed and have not been implemented. I was stunned at the Tánaiste's response to Deputy Seamus Healy when he stated there was no targeting of medical cards because every constituency office is inundated-----

See this speech in context