Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom tacaíocht a thabhairt dos na daoine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht ar chóras baincéireachta natíre seo. It was important that the Members of this House, virtually unanimously, came out to say that the banks should pass on the interest rate cuts to consumers. The great mass of the people were fulsome in their support for the guarantees to the banks. There is a necessary quid pro quo now and the consumers of this country need a response from the banks. I urge the Leader of the House to convey to the Minister for Finance the wish of this House that he approach the banking sector to convey that the democratically elected assemblies of this country want this done and that there is a moral and overall imperative on the banks to act.

At this time of financial constraints we should be looking at imaginative ways of bringing forward socially humane legislation and at the same time try to be as cost neutral as possible. I have been putting it to the Leader over the previous year — the Leader responded positively on a few occasions but there has not yet been an outcome — that were the means test to be removed from the carer's allowance then, in the context of unemployment and bearing in mind the cost of nursing homes and the cost of subvention, the number of people who would take up caring at home, which is much more efficacious for the individual being cared for and make them much happier, would make it a cost effective and cost neutral proposition. The cost of nursing homes and institutional care would go down. This proposal is worthy of examination. I ask the Leader that at least a feasibility study be undertaken and that it be considered as a serious proposition.

The Carers Association of Ireland is asking that only carers be means tested. I would go so far as to say that the means test should be removed. Many people will stay at home because in the current employment context this will be an option. It will allow people to be cared for at home where they are happiest and it will save money to the State. This should be carried out at a minimum on a pilot basis.

I have been putting it to the Leader over the past year and I would commend it to him again that the means test of the non-contributory old age pension should be removed. Only a small number of the population are on the non-contributory old age pension and these are mainly housewives who were put out of work by the marriage bar in the past and subsistence farmers; virtually everyone else has PRSI contributions. The cost of administering the means test is greater than any savings effective in it. The means test is inhumane and it is terrorising old people. I appeal to the Leader again — he responded positively to me before — that some action be taken to effect this change.

I appreciate the Cathaoirleach's indulgence but these are important issues in the context of the times in which we are living. I want to support the call of my colleague, Senator McCarthy, for insulation grants. A grant of €1,000 per house would make it viable to insulate. The cost of insulating an average house is approximately €2,200. This grant could be a national scheme and the outcome would allow for one third saving of energy costs and there would also be a carbon saving which would have an ultimate impact on fines incurred under the Kyoto Protocol. It would be financially viable. I appeal to the Leader to consider this request. We need to think outside the box and to think humanely and with an eye to being cost neutral.