Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I wish to highlight the level of care that many elderly people have been getting. It is time to pay tribute to the nurses and other staff of nursing homes for their valiant efforts over the years to provide care which goes well beyond monetary value.

My party highlighted the issue last year as people were still being charged illegally for nursing home care. The previous Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, was given repeated warnings about the situation. While I welcome the Supreme Court decision, it pointed out that any money accruing to patients or their descendants was not a windfall but rather an entitlement which was wrongly denied by this and other Governments. The court stated that the property rights of the weak and vulnerable particularly merited attention. I do not wish to play a political game but, as politicians, we should stand back and consider that the weak and vulnerable in our society did not receive the response to which they were entitled. I do not believe anyone intended to "do" these people but their rights were overlooked and I hope we never face the same situation.

I also hope Senator Leyden's comments do not represent a Government threat to the effect that people who seek to be reimbursed for money taken will be examined to find out where their pensions were obtained in the first place. I wish to clarify if it is Senator Leyden's policy or that of the Government. We should not place any obstacles in the way of people seeking that to which they are entitled.