Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak on this motion and I compliment Sinn Féin on bringing it forward. I am particularly struck by the cost analysis in the motion. I compliment Deputy Butler on her amendment, which I will be supporting. The motion outlines the cost-effective nature of home support by comparison with hospital care and nursing home care. It makes stark reading. The average weekly cost for home support services is €165. The average weekly cost of a hospital bed is €5,992. The average weekly cost of a nursing home bed is €1,048. It is clear that the best value for money is provided by directly employed, not-for-profit home care workers. I emphasise the not-for-profit aspect of this approach. I am deeply concerned about the proposals to charge for the home help service, which is currently universal and free. I am not saying that some targeted approaches might not be valid. The Government's track record on this matter is not great. We know how long it has taken to rectify the systematic discrimination towards farm families and business people that was built into the fair deal system. Are we going to see something similar here? What assurances can we receive that any such proposals will receive the most rigorous regulatory impact analysis before they are brought forward?

We need to be serious about this. We cannot make patsies out of the farmers and the self-employed. We need to have fair play. For the past three or four years, we have been trying to drag the Government kicking and screaming to bring equality to the fair deal scheme. We cannot introduce a similar system here. We must support the women and men who go out and provide home help services. As other Deputies have said, we should keep people in their homes because it is a fraction of the cost. This is a no-brainer. We should not even be debating this. We need to see some compassion from the Government. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, is compassionate. Many of his colleagues who are supporting him here tonight are not compassionate. They never had any compassion because they were the Government of the big people whose daffodils line the avenue. I would not call it a bóithrín. They do not care about the small people. They tell them to go to hell or to Connacht. We saw that with big Phil the destroyer when he was a Minister here. He also had the "to hell or to Connacht" attitude. The Government should look after the ordinary people. They will be told to listen very soon with the peann luaidhe at the ballot box. They will be told to be ag éisteacht agus an béal dúnta. They should look after the ordinary people rather than the landed gentry. It is time to see common sense here. We need to look after the ordinary people.

See this speech in context