Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 12:

In page 10, subsection (1), line 20, to delete "(including a personal social service)" and substitute the following:

", including a personal social service, such as home care, respite care, personal care and social supports,".

I will read from the presentation Older People and the Disability Bill 2004 made to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights by the National Council on Ageing and Older People in November 2004. The group stated:

It is unclear in this Bill what constitutes a personal social service. In the case of old people and other people with disabilities, will this mean the full range of home care, personal care and social supports required to implement the objectives of the services to older people and other people with disabilities? Objectives of services to older people are aiming to restore those people who become ill or dependent to independence at home, encouraging and supporting the care of the elderly and other people with disabilities in their own communities by family, neighbours and voluntary bodies in every possible way and providing a high quality of hospital and residential care for elderly people when they can no longer be maintained with dignity and independence in their own homes. As older people constitute 42% of the people with disabilities in Ireland, they are a very important proportion of the disabled population.

What is the Minister of State's response to the National Council on Ageing and Older People? It questioned the definition of the term "personal social services", which can include home care, respite care, personal care and social supports.