Ivor Callely (Fianna Fail)

The Minister of State has indicated I can resubmit, but that is not what I asked her. I asked her to consult her departmental officials and indicate to us tonight that she would be prepared to reconsider this section. I will make a suggestion to her. I am aware the HSE's various service providers provide annual reports which are normally laid before the House. The wording refers to "the records and accounts". If a table is made available for public facilities, it should be exactly the same as that would be acceptable to the NTPF from the private operators, not the records and accounts. I know tables are provided by organisations such as Bru Caoimhin, St. Mary's and St. Clare's, but they are chalk and cheese in being different the records and accounts of a private operator. I am simply asking the Minister of State to tease out the issue when she leaves the House. We may or may not make progress. I am not asking her to give a commitment that she will come back to the House, but if she would accept there may be an opportunity to have parity and a level playing pitch between all the players involved - public, private, voluntary and charitable - by bringing forward a table, if we cannot come up with another solution.

With respect, I am concerned about how this may be interpreted by an official at a later stage. The content and context of what Members are contributing to the debate in this and the Lower House will not be in the record. What will be before a proprietor is that the NTPF will have the power to examine the records and accounts of the approved nursing home. All I am asking is that the Minister of State accept that there is an issue in this regard which all sides of the House have raised. There is a substantial amendment in the name of Senator Mullen and, while I am not saying it is fully correct, on reflection and following discussion with relevant stakeholders, we may be able to reach agreement to some degree, with the result that the position would then be fairly acceptable.