Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

A year ago yesterday the Supreme Court clarified the issue of nursing home charges, when it concluded that medical card holders were being charged illegally in public nursing homes. In May 2005, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children announced in the House that legislation would be introduced to effect payments to approximately 20,000 elderly people who were still alive. When will this legislation be introduced?

The Minister also announced on that occasion that a private firm would be engaged to make the payments and it was stated last week that this could cost between €30 million and €50 million. This would be a terrible waste of funding. The Health Service Executive employs more than 150,000 people. The staff of public nursing homes are going through their records to verify the details of people who are eligible for this payment. It would be shocking if a private company was paid between €30 million and €50 million to make these payments. A total of 20,000 elderly people will receive the payment but they have also received an ex gratia payment of €2,000 from the HSE at a cost of €22 million. There is no necessity to involve a private company in these payments. Last December almost €1 billion was paid to 116,000 farmers by the Department of Agriculture and Food under the single payment scheme. There is a tendency to look to external consultants but such usage of taxpayers' money is totally unnecessary in these circumstances. This legislation has been promised for some time but, after a year, not a euro has been paid to the 20,000 people involved or the beneficiaries of their estates. When will this matter be resolved?

Senator Minihan spoke recently about the Tánaiste's achievements in the Department of Health and Children. I ask the Senator to consider the situation in accident and emergency departments on Tuesday, St. Valentine's Day. In Cork University Hospital, for example, 37 people were waiting on trolleys and there were 75 in a similar position in Tallaght Hospital. Senator Minihan noted the view expressed by one person that the accident and emergency facility in Tallaght should be named the "Mary Harney suite".

It is time for action. There is no necessity to spend the type of money envisaged to engage a private company to manage the repayment process. The resources are within the HSE to do so and all the research is being done internally. All it needs is a number of staff to collate the information within the service. God help us if such a group of persons cannot be found within a staff of some 150,000.