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

I could not agree more with the Deputies. I have made it clear that we cannot afford to lose any bed, private or public, for older people. In regard to the fair deal scheme, we also need to look at the issue of funding and the notion that if one lives in Dublin, X amount is paid per bed, while the rate is different if one lives in Wicklow or Galway. No account is taken of the needs of the person concerned. We need to look at this issue because the needs of some people are greater than those of others and they need more care and attention. We need to look seriously at the range of needs involved.

On the issue of cost, I am told that if we were to make the scheme resource and demand-led, it would cost an additional €30 million a year. In some years the cost would be higher and in others lower. However, if we do not do this in a planned way and a way we can see what we will be doing six months down the road, the cost will be twice that figure or more. It is about planning and ensuring we know exactly where we will find capacity and how we will meet demand as it arises.

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