Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

I would like the Leader to invite the Minister for Health and Children to the House to address the new regulations for nursing homes which the Health Information and Quality Authority approved yesterday. They are welcome because they cover many of the issues raised in recent scandals in nursing homes for the elderly which showed that the standards in public and private nursing homes left much to be desired. The regulations tackle the level of staff training, dignity and choice for elderly people in nursing homes, improving the physical environment and so on, and are welcome. There also will be 90 inspectors visiting public, private and voluntary homes. The fair deal arrangement imposes a levy on the estates of elderly people after their deaths to cover the costs of nursing home care. Will the Leader invite the Minister to the House to flesh out these proposals for us in order that we can be aware of how exactly those new financing arrangements will work?