Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I wish to comment on the Bill following its passing. Not everybody ends up in a nursing home. I believe the figure is less than 10%. However, for those who do, it is very expensive and a mechanism for planning ahead will avoid having to take the family home into account. Selling it, whether before or after the person's death, will be awkward.

I suggest that when the Government intends to give detailed replies to amendments in the future, Ministers provide copies of their replies to Opposition Members so that we can read them, as most times they go over our heads and it does not serve democracy very well. We could look through them and pick out details to scrutinise, which is our job.

I am not happy with the fixed, rather than index-linked, amounts in the Bill, which will be a problem for the next Minister for Health and Children, or the relevant Minister of State.