Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

It has been argued that this legislation has been rushed. The case for the defence has been made by Senator Minihan and others, who have said that speedy action is required, which is a fair point. We need speedy action to put in place, for once and for all, a plan to deal with the issue of long-term care for the elderly. The statistics were enunciated by some Senators, including Senator Browne, who emphasised that a considerable proportion of the population will be elderly in 20 or 30 years. Senator McDowell made the valid point that we not only need to plan for the future but that we also need to plan for the present. Every politician, local and national, is contacted weekly, if not daily, by constituents seeking some type of long-term accommodation for their elderly relatives or friends. This is one of the most difficult queries to deal with as a politician because a solution is always very difficult to find. There are simply not enough places available. If any good is to result from this debacle and this necessary legislation, rushed as it may be, I hope it will be that the minds of the Tánaiste and her ministerial colleagues will be focused on the broader question of care for the elderly.

Portfolios held by the Ministers of State at the Department of Health and Children seem to change very regularly. Could one Minister of State not have sole responsibility for the elderly? The number of issues faced by the elderly——