Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand what we are talking about with regard to residing in the same household, but there are situations where an individual who is the sole person picking up the slack is not any of the persons specified, although there are not many such situations so we are not opening up the Bill in an extreme way. Particularly in rural areas, that person might be an elderly man who is no relation whatsoever. That man is the person who calls to the person in need of care and who is there. There is no other person. The Bill should be extended.The Department should consider that in many situations where an individual coming out of hospital needs emergency care for a short time for a serious medical reason, the person providing that care may not be a relation but there is no one else to provide it. It would be interesting to see if an amendment was possible on Report Stage to provide such an extension, albeit not in too wide a manner. It should be an extension with restrictions. It should apply solely where there is no one else available to provide the care.