Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree that it is important that we keep people in their own homes and maintain a community-based focus in health care, but we need to be careful about a statutory package. We saw what happened with the Tory policy in the United Kingdom on a dementia tax. It is fundamental that the Minister of State avoid imposing another tax obligation or levy on people's homes through a statutory scheme. That would scare the living daylights out of people who want to stay in their own homes. We will have to see what the Minister of State proposes in his scheme. Caring for people in their own homes and ensuring they took their prescriptions delivered through the primary care or hospital system would save the State money. The State should fund such a service and not impose a levy on the family home or the individual. It should be willing to care for them in their own homes because that will keep them out of the hospital system or nursing homes, which are costly alternatives. It is important that we incentivise the scheme by making it free for people and not examine it on a cost basis.

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