Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Lest my silence might be interpreted as disagreeing with my colleagues, I repeat that I have no inherent objection to requiring older people who are in long-term care or in nursing homes to make a contribution. My problem has always been with means tests. Means tests are either so severe that they exclude vast numbers of people or, if they are limited to determining those who can afford to support themselves, the cost of processing the tests is greater than the savings made.

Given the incidence of poverty among older people, the sum of €10,400 as the upper income limit at which they would be entitled to full financial support is offensively small. Effectively, it states that anyone who is in any way better off than poor is able to pay for themselves or to make some contribution. This is not true and I support the amendment as a reasonable attempt to decide on a reasonable figure.