Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I missed the Minister of State's opening speech. I ask him to clarify the position of private nursing homes and institutions. Pensions have been taken into account during the amalgamation of finances which has been needed to fund the care of elderly people in private nursing homes. The cost of accommodation in such nursing homes, which can be quite expensive, has been met by a combination of elderly people's pensions and funds supplied by their relatives. I ask the Minister of State to clarify the matter, although he may already have done so in his opening speech. Do the institutions have to provide money? How will the State refund those who have paid substantial sums of money for their care? Will the payments be made from funds allocated by the private institutions and the State? I thank Senator Leyden for the useful minute.