Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

It is worth setting out the practical side of it. Since 2020, Government has increased the spending on home care packages by €338 million. That is a considerable amount of money that has clearly allowed people to stay in their homes. It is about choice. We must stick with the process. I am new in the role. A lot of work was done by my predecessor. It is now about bringing the legislation forward and bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I have no doubt we will be working on it in the Oireachtas Committee on Health, more particularly, in plenary session here and in the Seanad. We will then look to put a model in place that enhances the home care provision people have at home. The fair deal scheme took many years to introduce. It is about getting this right. Bringing it forward is a priority for me and the Government.

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