Since I was elected 18 months ago, several reports and many ideas have been put forward to deal with the homeless situation. During the summer, the new Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, suggested something be done around the fair deal scheme, where people in nursing homes would give up their homes to put people into them. The word CPO, compulsory purchase order, was put out there as well, and that people's properties would be CPOed.

Will the Government desist from this notion and leave those in nursing homes alone? Everyone in a nursing home has the ambition to get better and go home. If the Government proposes to take their homes from them, it is very same thing as somebody going in and shooting them. It was a horrible thing to suggest. Will the Government leave these people alone and, instead, give money to the local authorities to build houses? There is no other way round this. If the Government is trying to hurt people in those situations, I, and many other Deputies, will not stand for it.

If it is promised legislation, the Taoiseach can answer it.

I want to raise the same issue.

Is it on promised legislation?

It is about the fair deal scheme.

It might be the same issue but two wrongs do not make a right.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is correct. There is another anomaly in the fair deal scheme affecting people in the farming community and businesses. A business person who applies for the scheme will be charged 40% of their income from the business, if it is rented, and 3.75% on the value of the property. The same applies to farmers. They are charged 3.75% of the value of their land, as well as 40% of the income from the land. Many of those may not see that income as it goes to family members. The income may come from European funds, such as headage schemes etc. and it is unfair that these are included in the 40% determination.

Vacant homes and properties can be CPOed. We have had confirmation from the Attorney General that this can be done.

In fact, County Louth has led the way in compulsorily purchasing a number of vacant homes and putting them back into use to house people who need them. However, I agree with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae that it would not be appropriate to compulsorily purchase the house of somebody who is in a nursing home. I do not wish to see that happen. I would prefer if more people were encouraged to rent out such homes. While the person is in a nursing home, potentially for the last two or three years of their life, their house could be rented to somebody rather than being left vacant, thus providing an income to that person and his or her family. The way the rules are currently structured mitigates against that because the rent then becomes an income which is counted against the person in the fair deal calculations. That is one change under consideration. Other changes under consideration relate to fair treatment of farmers and business people. The Deputy's point is well made in that regard. However, any such changes would require legislation and we do not have a date for the legislation yet.