Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

On a more serious matter, the Leader will be aware that since the Office of the Ombudsman was instituted 25 years ago, on only two occasions since then has it placed a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas, it is presumed for contemplation and consideration.

A report recently brought before the House deals with the lost at sea scheme. This is an extremely serious report which was commissioned and dealt with in great depth by the Ombudsman. How does the Government intend to respond to the Ombudsman's report on this serious matter?

I support what my colleagues, Senator Fitzgerald and others, said about the dreadful situation faced by many disabled persons. Regrettably, another report issued recently features in today's Irish Independent as a result of a freedom of information request. Sadly, it points out to us, once again, that in nursing homes across the country there are many documented cases of patients not being treated properly. Significant time was spent in both Houses of the Oireachtas in putting in place a new scheme of financial assistance for elderly people in nursing homes. That should be a good scheme. However, I am genuinely concerned and have often raised the matter in this Chamber that on care of the elderly we seem to have the view that one size fits all. We must have a substantive debate on the care of the elderly. I hate to repeat myself but if our only aspiration for elderly people is a nursing home bed, it is a very poor one.