James Bannon (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House for a debate on waste management? This has become a major issue at local and national level. There have been many initiatives to educate people about their responsibilities but there is a great deal of illegal dumping on national primary and secondary routes, and county roads, as well as other locations in urban and rural areas. The cost of waste disposal is becoming a serious issue on which we urgently need a debate.

We might include in that debate the introduction of subsidies for old age pensioners and families on low incomes for waste disposal because litter affects the local economy and environment and creates a public health hazard. It is important to debate this issue now because we have not debated it since we passed the Protection of the Environment Act almost two years ago.

Like everybody else, I was dumbfounded by the situation RTE highlighted on Monday night. The station should be congratulated on the programme. The Government should oversee these nursing homes and ensure that regulation is in place to deal with the abuse shown on the programme.

I wonder how many unfortunate elderly people were driven to an early grave by such abuse. This needs to be investigated. Everyone is sickened by the abuse shown on the programme. Ordinary decent people are infuriated by it. I support Senator Brian Hayes's call to adjourn our motion this evening and take this important issue because it concerns us all, particularly the elderly and most vulnerable.