Michael Brennan (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the Minister of State on his detailed statement to the House on the many achievements of the Government in recent years. The cornerstone of all our policies is to keep our elderly people living in their own homes and within their own communities. I pay tribute to the elderly for the contribution they have made to the State and also to the carers whose voluntary work makes possible the standards in which our elderly live today.

I am involved with two voluntary housing associations providing 40 units in my area. As many speakers have pointed out, there should be some flexibility in regard to the qualifications for these schemes. People's circumstances may change a number of times throughout their lives. The voluntary housing sector has been a success story over the last 20 years. A partnership between the Minister's Department and local government to deal with issues affecting elderly people living in voluntary housing associations would be welcome. There is a crying need to cater for those who came in at 65 years and are now in their 80s. Voluntary beds for nursing home care could be provided as part of those complexes. They already qualify for grant assistance from the Department of the Environment and Local Government for the provision of these units. Grant assistance from the Department which provides those beds would make it possible for elderly people to live out their lives in housing associations. I ask the Minister of State to consider a pilot scheme in this regard.