Seanad debates

Wednesday, 1 November 2006

2:30 pm

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Fine Gael)

I echo other speakers in complimenting the Garda and Fire Services on the manner in which they handled situations throughout the country last night. However, many individuals, including taxi drivers and gardaí, have indicated to me the lack of resources available to emergency services personnel, especially gardaí. These people work with limited resources and this has been highlighted time and again, yet the Government does not take action to provide the necessary resources.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan, to this House to debate the inadequate investment in community care facilities for the elderly, sick and disabled. The essential repair and disabled person's grants have not kept pace with inflation over the years. In local authority guidelines the disabled person's grant is still around €20,000 per annum and that relating to essential repairs for the elderly is around half that figure. It is impossible for those in receipt of the essential repair grant to acquire contractors to carry out work because the contractors are not interested. The elderly are being neglected in this sense because the Government has not supplied sufficient funds for grants to support them.

We must relax the eligibility criteria for the carers allowance to enable full-time carers qualify, an issue I have often highlighted. Everything looks rosy in the Government's guidelines but the facilities are not available when the elderly and sick try to access them.

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