Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

This comes at a time when all sorts of other actions are being taken by the Government that will create significant problems for the elderly. I spoke yesterday to a person on the front line dealing with people in a hospital and I was told there were 60 people waiting for community care packages in Tallaght hospital and there are vetoes on community care packages in a number of areas, despite what has been said in the House. People cannot get out of hospital, or indeed into hospital sometimes, to take up residence in their homes because of a lack of community care packages.

We have a range of questions about this legislation which we will raise on Committee Stage. I do not have the time to go into them now but there is no doubt my colleagues will address some of the many other concerns we have about the implications of the legislation.