Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thought I would have to wait another 20 minutes or so. I thank my colleague, Deputy O'Dea, for bringing the Bill forward. Before I begin, I extend the apologies of Deputy Mary Butler, who is our spokesperson for older persons. She is in Scotland meeting with groups dealing with dementia.

I have met with the Minister of State more than once and we have had more than one discussion regarding the fair deal scheme. I very much support what Deputy O'Dea has done in bringing forward this legislation and I fully agree with what Deputy Curran has said. What we are looking for is very narrow. The Minister of State says she needs six months and that there are elements about which she has concern. At the coalface in my constituency, I have huge concerns about how home care packages are being delivered and the criteria for assessment. That is why I would very much welcome the opportunity of having it put on a statutory footing so that everybody would be treated equally and that when one reaches a certain age, one is not placed on a scoring system by which three points are awarded to those over the age of 85 and only two points to those over 65. That does not sit well with me and it should not sit well with anyone. If people are in need of home care help, they are in need of home care help. We should seek to give them that choice of support. It should not be a question of who gets care this week or who is entitled to it after a round-table discussion.

If there is a need and requirement everybody should be treated equally. I thoroughly agree that everyone should have to contribute. People in my constituency are scrambling to get two or three hours because it is not on a statutory footing. People have the choice to say who gets what. We need to empower people to say it is a right and it should be on the same level as the fair deal scheme. The legislation governing the fair deal is a deterrent because after three years it is no longer only the house that is taken into consideration. Families whose loved one is sick in hospital and who are given the opportunity to apply for the fair deal but who do not understand its ramifications may not qualify for it. This is because their land will be over the threshold as it has not been transferred for three or five years. There are many similar issues and they get no financial gain from it. Moreover, when the five years have passed, they cannot apply for the fair deal scheme because they have applied already. They may never have drawn anything from the fair deal programme during those five years and the families may have supported and funded them throughout. The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Regina Doherty, is looking at me. That is a fact. If a person applies for but does not qualify for fair deal that application sits on file. It is not possible to apply even if the land has been transferred for five years and the person's family has supported the person for those years. It is tied up in legislation and though the person had no financial benefit from the land, there is a case reference number attached to the person's personal public service number and that person cannot benefit from the scheme. There is a cohort of people who cannot gain from this. I endorse Deputy O'Dea's Bill and ask the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy McEntee, to look more favourably on the timeframe.

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