Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I support the amendments. When the Bill was published, the initial response of most people was a general and guarded welcome to the proposal as it was felt it would put in place a system of care with a system of payment which was fair, reasonable, transparent and affordable to a reasonable extent. However, the fine print of the Bill was studied and in advance of the debate in the other House the issue came to light about the capping rule whereby the three-year cap would apply only to a private residence. This regulation will have a negative effect and will impact on many people such as farming families and those with small businesses, who instead of having a repayment charge of 15%, 5% per annum for a maximum of three years, could instead have a repayment of 25% to 50% at the time of a bill finally issuing.

I appreciate that in response to the concerns and the arguments put forward, there was some degree of relief granted in the other House by way of a slight change in the technicalities of the scheme and it would provide that in a small number of cases where illness occurred in a sudden fashion, the three-year ruling would again apply. However, I am speaking about the majority of cases in so far as farming families and those with small businesses are concerned, who would not enjoy the relief offered by the Minister of State in the amendment put forward in the other House.

I am asking the Minister of State to reflect on the possibility of changing this section and the calculations as they are determined in the legislation to ensure that the 5% per annum with the maximum of 15% charge would apply in all cases. If this suggestion was not accepted, many people, farming families and those with small businesses in particular, could end up facing massive charges against their estate and this would be unfair. I hope the Minister of State will try to meet us some way on this issue.