Political reaction:Fine Gael has supported the Government's proposal that elderly people should pay some of their nursing home costs, but warned that some elderly could end up paying an unfair share.
Calling for more details about the scheme, Fine Gael health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey said he was left suspicious by Minister for Health Mary Harney's declaration that the new rules would not cost the State more.
"It is clear that this proposal will involve a large-scale transfer of funds from elderly people to the State and, therefore, it requires detailed examination," Dr Twomey said.
Nursing home companies could create cartels in some areas unless the Government provides enough State nursing-home beds to ensure that competition exists, he warned.
Questioning the involvement of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, Dr Twomey said the State's record in negotiating with hospital consultants "doesn't give one great confidence" about its ability to negotiate with nursing homes.
The package announced by the Minister does nothing to address the shortage of key health staff such as occupational therapists, he said.
Labour's health spokeswoman Liz McManus said the plan to give the State a claim on the estate of a deceased person, who had been in care, will greatly increase anxiety levels among the elderly. "The complexity of what is proposed is likely to cause considerable stress: it may deter people from seeking residential care or may allow others to be pressurised into signing the home over to other family members," she said.
The Labour Party supported efforts to keep the elderly in their own homes for as long as possible, she said. "Proper community supports should be in place, including a comprehensive home care system to allow this to happen.
The care of the elderly "is the only area of the social services where the family home is taken into consideration when deciding liability to pay and this can create significant distress and even hardship", she said.
Labour TD Seán Ryan said the Health Service Executive is obliged to provide in-care service for everyone, including long-term care, "but in practice there are not enough of these beds available".
