Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Everybody in this House will agree that a nation is judged on the basis of how it supports children and older people. In this context, the Government has been mean-spirited. It has insulted in a gratuitous manner older people who have given lifelong service to this country and who in their hour of need want the support of this State in the context of their being able to access a nursing home bed. This Government has also told them that they must wait 15 weeks when most in need and that they will be billed in the meantime while their applications are being processed. That is wrong.

We are asking that in the context of the HSE service plan due to be published next week the Government would provide adequate funding in 2015 for the fair deal scheme. We will provide Government with every support in ensuring that money is extracted from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, thus ensuring older people can access their entitlement with dignity and in a speedy fashion.

I commend the motion to the House.

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