Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My question is to the Minister for Health. On the waiting list for the nursing home support scheme, I acknowledge that some work has been done, but the numbers fluctuated wildly in September. On 17 September there were 525 on the waiting list. On 30 September, that number had increased to 686, an increase of 30%. The Minister will be aware that 745 people are awaiting discharge from hospital. It is a vicious cycle. Quicker access to the fair deal scheme would free up additional capacity in hospitals. What action does the Minister propose to take to deal with this matter?

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