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

It is that type of talk - this €10 million is only a drop in the ocean - that got us into the position we are in today. As if €10 million did not have a significant impact for the extra 300 people who could avail of the scheme. It made a significant impact. This type of attitude towards public finances - that laissez-faireattitude that €10 million does not matter and throw in what is there - is what got us here.

We are very conscious that we must be careful about the difficulties in the provision of care for older people into the future. We are equally conscious that we do need additional resources. To be honest and straight about it, provision should have been put into the original legislation for this. I believe the fair deal scheme should be demand-led with tight access. We do not need new legislation - that is what Deputy Sean Fleming chose to misunderstand - but an amendment to existing legislation, namely the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. The Deputy is long enough here to know that is not new legislation but an amendment to an Act.

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