Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)

I am conscious that the Minister is new to this brief, as am I as a first-time Deputy. The Bill went through the House before I was elected. I am concerned by the proposed amendment to section 4(1)(d) of the Bill, as drafted. It might appear to be an attempt to water down the services available to survivors. Even less home help is on offer compared to the Magdalen and mother and baby institutions schemes. Section 4(1)(d) of the Bill, as it stands, reads identically to the legislation underpinning the Magdalen and mother and baby institutions schemes. In those schemes, and in this Bill, public home help services are to be provided upon an assessment of need made by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse. The Minister wants to amend this so that the entitlement to public home health services will arise only where an assessment of needs is made on behalf of the executive, that is, the HSE.

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