Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not agree with the Deputy that social infrastructure in this country has been devastated by the Government. The same 2,500 people are not always on the waiting list. Some 515 people move to the fair deal scheme each month. In other words, there is a roll-over system in place. People are moved onto the scheme in a chronological order, which is the fairest way. That is the way in which the scheme was written and is the reason it is such a good scheme. The Government has not devastated the social infrastructure of this country. It is wrong of the Deputy to say that. I believe people are determined to keep their frail, elderly parents-relatives at home. We are working on the issue. If we do not work on it and put a good plan in place, then the waiting time for the scheme will increase. We do not intend to allow that to happen.

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