Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Convenient amnesia is alive and well and living in Fine Gael. It is important to remember that whatever we do in terms of introducing legislation must be fair and equitable. I do not believe the blame game will do much good. However, we must accept that charging patients in long-stay institutions has been ongoing for many years. The Government is introducing this legislation because it is essential that any charges that may be made have a sound legal basis. It is especially important for the State to ensure that the charges and taxes it imposes are clearly legal, whether for health or any other services.

The legal issue relates to charges made towards the cost of shelter and maintenance for people in long-term care in public institutions, county homes, district hospitals, welfare homes, community nursing units, psychiatric hospitals and publicly contracted beds in private nursing homes. For an elderly person on a basic State pension this comes to approximately €120 per week. We need to remember and appreciate what a pension or a social welfare payment is. It is unreasonable and hypocritical of those on the other side of the House to claim that the State should pay a pension as well as keeping them in a long-term institution.