Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader for a debate on home care packages with the Minister of State at the Department of Health present. I acknowledge the significant increase in the provision of home care packages in the previous budget but for some reason since January or February, certainly in respect of the south side of Dublin city, almost no home care packages have been awarded. People have contacted me who wanted to bring their parents home to pass away in their home but they have not been able to access a home care package. I want to be fair. There has been an increase in the provision. There was an effort to reduce the trolley crisis in that respect but people are entitled to a home care package. It helps the hospital system because it takes the patients out of acute beds. If something has gone wrong in the way they are being awarded, it needs to be addressed. I hope the Minister of State will come into the House at some stage and address the matter, not on a localised basis but on a national basis.

I have raised Commencement debates in respect of the Poolbeg west or former Irish Glass Bottle Company site on which an additional 500 affordable rental and social housing units were to be built, which was a deal done to get the strategic development zone. Nothing seems to be happening in that respect and rumours are rife around the city that because of the cost of those units, it will not happen. NAMA is involved in respect of the site; the receiver is acting on behalf of NAMA. We need action. We cannot forgo 500 units in a key location in the city centre and be left with a huge loss in that respect and a major gap in the Government's policy on the provision of affordable and cost rental housing. The matter was raised in Commencement debates in the House on several occasions but we have heard nothing back since it was announced that negotiations were taking place. An Bord Pleanála will make a decision shortly and we are in danger of losing 500 units for the capital city, which are badly needed. The Minister of State needs to address the House on this issue.