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

Everyone agrees that the current scheme is unsustainable. We do not have enough money. Delayed discharges are a major difficulty for the entire health service. However, this is not just a question of the fair deal scheme. As I have been saying for a considerable time, it is also a question of the community-based services that each and every one of us would prefer were we to need them. We would be able to stay in our own communities and homes. Mr. Tony O'Brien reiterated at the meeting what I had been saying for the past 12 months, that being, the fair deal scheme must become demand led. It is as simple as that. The scheme is perfectly constructed to be demand led. It has a tight access point and stringent eligibility criteria.

We will need more money. It is estimated that, were we to make the scheme demand led, it would cost approximately €1.3 billion, which is exactly what we pay in disability services every year.

We cannot pretend that this is not an issue. We have reduced the waiting time to 11 weeks, but even that time is still impacting on families. We must continue the work. For the past 12 months, I have worked with the Minister for Health on ensuring that we put in place a scheme that benefits those of us who might need it in future and that people do not delay too long in accessing the service. Unless families are extraordinarily well off, they cannot pay the type of money that is necessary to keep their loved ones in continuing care.

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