Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I second the amendment. Senator Mullen has explained the rationale for the amendment very well. What he has said is quite correct and if the Minister of State does not find it possible to accept it, I would like her to explain why not. I received an e-mail from a representative of Nursing Homes Ireland which stated:

The bill also proposes that each Nursing Home will have to furnish a full set of accounts to the NTPF prior to fee agreement which is incomprehensible and unacceptable. Public nursing homes will not have to comply with this.

I would like the Minister of State to explain whether that is so. One of the objectives for the Minister of State as well as for us is to encourage the development of nursing homes. That has been the objective of the Government for quite some time. This amendment simply proposes that they should explain their rationale. If there is still no agreement after that I can understand that the accounts should be examined. On that basis it does not appear correct that one rule would apply to public nursing homes with another applying to the private nursing homes when we are trying to encourage private nursing homes to be developed. I urge the Minister of State to give serious consideration to this amendment.