Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

From what I have heard, the Minister of State's ramble-shaggle-taggle Government is going to be forced to accept it because Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil are supporting it. The heroes and great socialists, who want all legislation, do not care about the elderly. The do not care about the young or the unborn either. Where are they? The Bill will be put to a vote here next Thursday. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an bua againn. Today the Government was beaten out of the gaff again. The Minister of State should have researched the Bill himself before he came in. I accepted that there are parts of the legislation that I am not an expert on. In proposing that it proceed to Committee Change, I accepted it would be changed. Deputy Harty made a great recommendation in regard to the Title, stating it should be called the "Adult Persons at Risk Bill". That is a wonderful suggestion. Deputy Harty is dealing will all the circumstances in question in his surgery as a general practitioner of some renown in County Clare. The Minister of State referred to the Judicial Council Bill. My God, I have asked about that legislation about 100 times in my 11 years here. It has been delayed time and again.

Then the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, took it up with gusto and the Government sent out all types of people with statements to try to derail him also. What impact will that have on what I said?

The Minister of State also referred to the theft and fraud offences Act. If he had listened to my contribution - my script was carefully drafted and I did not deviate from it - he would know that the case I quoted went on for decades or more. Over 30 people could corroborate and support the allegations, but there was no investigation by An Garda Síochána. HSE case workers, social workers and district nurses were all in fear of this person who was said to be abusing his unfortunate mother while her shoulder was broken but nobody acted. In the heel of the hunt when the Garda got involved and sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, no prosecution was recommended. All the Minister's talk about different legislation is like boiling the bacon without the cabbage or the turnips. It is very untasty stuff. He was not listening to what was said.

The Minister of State also referred to the assisted capacity legislation. It has been passed and I welcome it. I also contributed to the debate on it. However, people are being neglected, especially the elderly and the vulnerable. Deputy Harty referred to them as adult persons at risk. There are cracks and even gaping holes, as the Minister knows. I quoted the figures, as did Deputies Butler, Cullinane and Michael Collins. Deputy Harty quoted figures too, with his personal reports of dealing with people. From where are we getting those figures? They are independent. Deputy Harty was at pains to point out that the health committee, at which he has done powerful work on behalf of the Government, had held meetings with all of the stakeholders who made many requests. They saw the gaping holes and have demanded action. However, when a Deputy like me, with limited resources, tries to take action and waits for two years in a lottery system, this is the respect the Government has for the Private Members' Bill. This is the new politics and the type of Government we have. It rubbishes the Bill. As I said, the Government can amend or redraft it in whatever way it wishes. It is not sacrosanct.

I had the same problem with the former Minister, Alan Shatter who was mightier than anybody. We had a scrap about precious metals when I attempted to introduce legislation in that regard. At the time the country was being plundered - it is still being plundered - of precious metals, wonderful ornaments and masts for aviation and so forth, but the Bill was declared to be rubbish because it had come from us. Nothing has been done about it since. A closed hospital within view of this House was stripped one weekend. Parked lorries and signs for road works were placed and everybody thought a big job was taking place. Every bit of steel and precious metal in the building was cleaned out, put on a boat and taken out of the country. We are still waiting for that Bill.

The Government has numerous Bills, but there are still gaping holes. Above all, we are neglecting the most vulnerable who are at risk. We have been aware of this since the recession and the credit unions are anxious to deal with it. We have met its representatives and listened to them. Representatives of many other organisations have appeared before the health committee and spoken about huge concerns. The Minister of State also knows this. The assisted capacity Bill has been passed, but that legislation is not infallible. One can find a legal eagle to tackle any Bill, while the Garda is limited and frustrated in what it can do.

As Deputy Butler said, this problem is very subtle. It happens within families and there is a shocking incidence in care services, whether they are in the home or provided by outside providers. I am involved in Tigh na nDaoine i gCaisleán Nua which operates a listening service - Good Morning South Tipperary. It is staffed by a wonderful set of volunteers who give of their time and meet every Monday morning. They telephone lonely and isolated people. I cannot recount the stories as they are confidential, but we hear the stories and about the loneliness when we have meetings to review and assess. Anybody who is involved in community alert or other voluntary organisations in the parishes that are trying to look after the vulnerable and people at risk knows them, as does the Minister. This legislation is an attempt to deal with the matter, but the Minister of State is high and mighty and against it.

There is another aspect to this and I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State. However, he is the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for defence. He is not looking after it very well either. Neither the Minister for Health nor the Minister for Justice and Equality could come to the House this evening, nor could the Minister from any of the other Departments that have anything to do with this legislation. It is a downright insult to the House. God help vulnerable people in the Defence Forces if they are depending on the Minister of State to defend them because they are not getting much of it. It is an insult that none of the Ministers I mentioned could attend the debate. They do not care. The same happens during the Topical Issue debate. The Ministers of State in various Departments are sent in to take it-----

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