The care of older people in nursing homes like those run by Aperee is a cause of increasing concern for HIQA and others. Sage Advocacy recently published a Red C poll of public opinion on the issue of supports and care for older people. One of the significant findings is the public has a concern that home care and nursing home care have become overly concentrated in the hands of private providers and people feel we need innovation and new alternatives to nursing home care, especially with regard to not-for-profit organisations, to help meet the challenges of an ageing society in our economy.

I thank the Deputy for his constant advocacy for older people and especially appropriate nursing home care. There has been ongoing regulatory engagement between HIQA and Aperee, including provider meetings and cautionary and warning meetings. Unfortunately, two nursing homes have closed to date. One is in Ballygunner in Waterford and the other near Kinsale in Cork. As of Friday week last, the HSE has taken over the running of Aperee Living in Callan, County Kilkenny, and it will continue to run it as a going concern at the moment.

I thank Sage for all its advocacy. I looked at the Red C poll it commissioned and just this morning, we had a Labour Party motion on home care. The situation has raised the fact that much of the care being provided is being outsourced to private providers but we also have some fantastic voluntary groups that provide care.