Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Taoiseach is aware, it is policy on all sides of the House that people who are elderly or ill and need care should be allowed to live in and enjoy the comfort of their own homes, insofar as possible. Despite this, there are thousands of people in nursing homes in this country, funded under the fair deal scheme at huge cost to the taxpayer, who would prefer to be living at home with their families and whose families would prefer them to be at home. This is not possible because we do not have a proper statutory system of home care. There is a definite commitment in the programme for Government to introduce such a scheme. Has work commenced on the preparation of this extremely urgent legislation? When can we expect to see it?

In the last few seconds remaining to me, I will follow on from the question asked by the previous Deputy. I, too, have a particular problem with a maternity hospital in my constituency which is flagrantly disobeying the directive of the Minister for Health. I will be in touch with the Taoiseach about that.

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