Yesterday I raised the issue of the cost of nursing home care. My colleagues raised it this morning. I raised it because the cost of public nursing home care is €1,700 per week. The cost in the private nursing home sector is €850 per week, a difference of €850. Private nursing homes have no problem in increasing wages and salaries if they receive the remuneration to do so.

That is news.

In the past five years there has been an increase of 13% in the cost of public nursing home care, despite the fact that it costs €1,700 per week per bed. The argument is that they look after people with dementia, but so too does the private sector. In the private sector there has been an increase of 1.75% in those five years. If one takes the logic of my colleague's point this morning, the cost of private nursing home care to the taxpayer is approximately €1 billion per annum, for 23,000 beds, at €850 per week per bed. Taking on board what Senator Paul Gavan said, the cost would go to €2 billion per annum. He might outline to the House in due course how he proposes the extra €1 billion would be collected.

There is no excuse for exploitation.

Please allow the Senator to continue.

Senator Colm Burke obviously wants a debate on the matter.

Senator Paul Gavan might also deal with the cost of building a public nursing home. The cost of building a public nursing home in County Donegal is €22.75 billion for a 130-bed unit, at €175,000 per bed. If a person in the private sector borrowed money at 5%, the cost of each bed in interest payments would be over €8,000 per annum.

Then the Senator will agree to a debate.

Let us have it.

The public sector does not have to carry that cost, but the private sector does. Let us have the debate.

If the Leader accedes to the request for a debate, we can have it. The Senator has made his point, as has Senator Paul Gavan.

The private sector has responded very responsibly and delivered very well for a large number of families. That needs to be acknowledged.