Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I look forward to his reply, as he is under orders to be positive, to provide solutions, and not to talk about problems. I am sure my query will be dealt with.
I wish to speak about the Fair Deal scheme - not how it operates, but its current funding. The Minister could probably give some of the same answer that he gave to the previous speaker. The scheme is a positive and effective one, which I discussed on many occasions with a previous Minister and Tánaiste, Mary Harney. I am concerned that we see the Fair Deal scheme as the only way of dealing with the accommodation needs of the elderly community. I hope, as the Minister plans ahead, that home care packages, home help services and carer's allowance - although that is within the remit of another Department - will receive significant focus. I noted in passing an interesting piece of legislation, perhaps not yet debated in the other House, tabled by Deputy Willie O'Dea of Fianna Fáil. He suggested that where a person is deemed eligible for the Fair Deal scheme, the cost of the scheme be made available for private care or home care arrangements. We need to be much more flexible in regard to care of the elderly.
It has come to my attention from a few individual constituency cases, about which I have made inquiries of HSE staff, that since mid-summer or thereabouts a number of applicants have been approved as eligible for the Fair Deal scheme from a medical and income point of view, but the sanctioning of these applicants has slowed down by as much as 60%. People who were advised in mid-summer that they would probably have to wait six or seven weeks for the final sanction have found that the waiting period has more than doubled, but I appreciate that this is a funding issue. In one case, I put much pressure on a family, at the behest of a hospital, to have the person taken home from the hospital on the advice that the Fair Deal scheme wouldapply afterfive or six weeks, but now it could take ten, 12 or 15 weeks. I know it is a funding problem, but the Minister may be in a position to comment. It appears the situation has deteriorated since mid-summer. There was a blip in February and March and the situation improved, but since late June or early July delays have increased significantly.
Perhaps the Minister would give an overview of his future approach to care of the elderly. While I want to see the Fair Deal scheme supported, encouraged and properly funded, there must be solutions other than nursing homes.I have said here often that if our only aspiration for the elderly is a clean nursing home bed, that is inadequate. Care in the community, care in the home, family support, carer's allowance, home help and so on should play a much more significant role. The taxpayer would benefit because it is less expensive. The older person would benefit as he or she would be with family, friends or neighbours. Perhaps the Minister will work on this issue and comment on the current funding difficulty for the Fair Deal scheme.