Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and support Senator Healy Eames's case. Additional jobs would be created and extra beds would help the awful accident and emergency unit situation we are reading and hearing about in the national media every day as well as the lack of available beds in UCHG. The home will not be viable unless it can get the rates it expected as an existing business. The situation is cut and dry. The home informs me that it cannot afford to open unless it gets that rate. If it does not open we will lose jobs and fail to free up beds in UCHG. It would be a shame to see a fine facility lying idle when the community needs it. Will the Minister of State discuss the issue with the NTPF to resolve it? As the home has been operating for the past ten years, it seems strange that it cannot be classified as an existing business to give it a competitive edge and enable it to open the new facility.