Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

Like Senator Brian Hayes, I am aware of people with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric problems who are adversely affected by the charges to which he referred. Persons living in sheltered accommodation who, because of the nursing home situation, were not charged for that period now find themselves with arrears of €4,000. These are not people of means and they tend to spend payments as soon as they are received. Most of them are not in a position to meet the repayments and they should not be pursued.