Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

I ask that consideration be given to providing time for a debate on the needs of the elderly. Experts predict we will have one of the coldest winters on record and Age Action Ireland tells us that between December and March there will be as many as 2,000 weather-related deaths among the elderly. It is a statistical fact that in the winter months the mortality rate in Ireland is 23% compared to less than 5% in Germany and Sweden. Elderly people should not be afraid to turn on their heating in the winter months for fear they cannot pay the bill. We must address the matter in the House.