Tonight's Prime Time Investigates may turn out to be one of the most shocking documentaries aired on Irish television in many years. The hidden camera has exposed some very worrying evidence of poor standards of care of vulnerable elderly people - not in nursing homes this time but in their own homes.
Private care companies are on the increase - they're funded by the HSE but there are no laws specifying standards and no formal regulation of the sector.
That sounds like a recipe for disaster and unforunately tonight's Prime Time Investigates suggests that a disaster is exactly what's transpired in many cases. We'll be debating that tonight in the company of all sorts of people with involvement and expertise in the area.
Also, the Government keeps saying that "prices have come back to 2007 levels" so even if your income has dropped to 2007 or 2008 levels as a result of the budget, you're not really out of pocket. Is that a fair assessment or is it simplistic ?
Let us know what you think by posting your comment below or by emailing thefrontline@rte.ie. We're back live tonight so we'll be reading out comments live on air again
