Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

We are involved in a hypocritical exercise here, which does very little for the body politic. When the banks and other financial institutions overcharge their customers we are all ready to jump up, and rightly so, and condemn them for robbing the people by way of such charges. Today we are legalising the robbery undertaken by the State in regard to elderly people. Rip-off Ireland is alive and well and we are sponsoring it if we pass this Bill. We have been ripping off elderly people, the weakest section of our community. We are copper-fastening that deception here today. There is no question but that the then Minister knew about this issue last year. He was at the meeting in question, irrespective of whether he was present when the issue was discussed. As my colleague, Senator Brian Hayes said, the then Minister with responsibility for the elderly was also at that meeting. What more do we want? They swept the issue under the carpet and but for the fact that Deputies Kenny and Perry kept raising it in the other House, it would still be swept under the carpet and people would be left without their money. This is the type of Bill we are introducing just before Christmas week. All over the country, the elderly are on waiting lists for public beds in public institutions. St. Patrick's Hospital, Waterford, is a wonderful geriatric hospital. However, week after week, because of the long queue for admission, elderly people must ask whether I can get them into that hospital. Public representatives receive many requests for accommodation in private hospitals and private nursing homes because families cannot afford, even with a subvention, to pay for the care of their elderly relatives.

This is a land of plenty which is supposed to have a caring and sharing Government. That this is allowed to happen and families are suffering is disgraceful. That there are not enough public beds must be addressed by the Government. Fair play to the Tánaiste for making some effort by giving a measly €2,000 to compensate for the incompetence of her predecessor, who should be hauled over the coals and asked to explain himself. He should resign. Moreover, the two Ministers of State involved are still in office, with one issuing statements on practically any subject, inside or outside his portfolio.

We need answers on this matter. The Government knew but did not act — that is the simple fact. It now makes a €2,000 offer. As Senator Feighan stated, if a shopkeeper overcharged somebody by €10, when the customer complained he or she would not be given back €2. This is what the Government is doing with the Bill, no more or less. It is not good enough. We should treat the elderly better than is the case with this Bill.

Most aspects of the matter have been covered. If anybody was listening to the rightful condemnation of the practices of the banks during this debate and understood what the Government intends with the Bill, we would be called hypocrites, particularly Members on the other side of the House. That is what is evident in the House today.