Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It begs the question as to what else is happening about which we do not know. What is happening regarding NAMA and the other negotiations, so much of which goes on behind closed doors? This is a further example of the Government's lack of competence in the management of taxpayers' money and we need a general election as soon as possible.

Last night on RTE we saw another "Prime Time Investigates" programme on home care packages for the elderly. It became clear that there are major questions about the standard of home care that 65,000 elderly people are receiving. The Minister should come to the House to outline the Government's approach to the question of standards of care for the elderly in their homes. A number of months ago we saw the report into what had happened in Leas Cross and many questions were raised about the quality of care in some nursing homes. What we saw last night gives rise to the most serious and distressing questions about the quality of care in people's own homes. Anyone who watched the programme will have seen very disturbing images of elderly people in their homes and would be concerned about the standards.

It is important the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, would be involved in assessing the standards and that the investigation's standards question be put on a statutory basis. The Minister should come to the House as soon as possible to answer the questions raised by last night's programme. It is in the public interest to have a debate as soon as possible on home care packages for the elderly because so many people rely on them. While it is very important that people are in a position to stay in their own homes, it is equally important that the standard of care is appropriate to their needs.