Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Is mian liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit agus buíochas a ghabháil léi as ucht an cur i láthair a thug sí dúinn ar an mBille. Bhí sé an-chabhrach ar fad. I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for her presentation of the Bill, which I found helpful. I also thank Senator Butler for sharing time with me.

I welcome the Bill, which is visionary and exceptional legislation. It has all the hallmarks of compassion, which is exactly as it should be with a caring Government. Anybody who has a loved one in a nursing home would have no difficulty in identifying with many of the issues the Minister has raised today. Anybody who has visited a nursing home and taken the opportunity to observe the difficulties for people, many of whom have found themselves there very suddenly, perhaps as a result of a stroke, Parkinson's disease or some other ailment, will realise how it changes the lives of not only those in the nursing home but also their families.

One phrase the Minister of State used which struck home to me was the effort that should be made to avoid anxiety for people at a time such as this. When one is in full health it is amazing how one can respond to difficulties and challenges, no matter how they may come at one, but if one is helpless and vulnerable one's attitude to life changes so that every problem results in excessive anxiety, which adds to the suffering already being experienced. It is evident in this Bill that ears were kept to the ground over a long period by many people, professional and otherwise, to discover what was required to improve the situation of people who find themselves in long-term nursing home care.

One thing about which a person is always particularly conscious, whether sick or otherwise, is his or her house. It is difficult to explain the trauma that results from having to give up one's house while one is still living. A few years ago there were not many people who could have foreseen a solution to this problem. That is why I say the legislation is exceptional and visionary. I compliment those who are responsible for introducing it, for a number of reasons. If one owns a house it is obviously as a result of one's own efforts through work, thrift and so on to ensure one had a roof over one's head. I see no reason, if a person needs to avail of that asset, that they should not have the opportunity of doing so. This is important and it must be the bedrock of our approach to a socialist Ireland. It is very well put in Bill.

When one reads further into the Bill, one considers the difficulties that can sometimes arise from the necessary bureaucracy which exists due to exceptional legislation. Those create anxiety in their own right. I refer, for example, to the identification of people who can act on behalf of those who are not capable of acting on their own authority. These are listed in the Bill. The legislation is comprehensive and, in alleviating one source of anxiety, avoids creating further anxiety. With regard to the level of contribution, that is, 80% of net income, it is true that if people have full services in long-term residential care they do not require the same amount of disposable income as they might if they were out in the real world. However, it is important that some percentage remains. The issue of dignity is vital in this legislation and the fact that a person retains 20% of his or her net income is important.

The allocation of 5% of the value of a person's house seems very reasonable. Nobody will feel hurt by this. It is important to defend the State also. That has been done well by providing specifically for the manner in which registration will take place, where it will take place and who will be responsible for its implementation. It is provided that the institution will be notified when the time comes that there is a three-month period to allow those who have a claim, from the State's point of view, to respond. I am not speaking from the point of view of those who might benefit from a legacy or similar, but it is important that these matters are provided for in the Bill and that they do not undermine the requirements of looking after the individual concerned.

Another thing we should bear in mind is that not only are we looking after the rights and dignity of the individual, but we are also helping the family, who are subject to considerable anxiety at such times. They want to do what is right for a loved one but they feel guilty when they cannot do enough for him or her. Enshrined in this legislation is the possibility that they can feel protected and insulated. There is no reason for them to feel guilty because they know the property of the person is being used to provide them with what is required, whether it is in their twilight years or as a young person.

There are many things I could say about the specifics of the Bill, but I do not have any great difficulty with these, although there are a few issues to be teased out. The Bill is comprehensively thought out and protects everybody concerned. I compliment the Minister, the Parliamentary Counsel and the Government on the Bill. It is exceptional, visionary and compassionate. Such qualities are needed more than anything else in this area.