Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I cannot speak to the consultation that may have taken place, but we are talking about $325,000 here. We are not talking about the people out there, we are talking about indigent seniors or people with disabilities who are living in long-term and extended care facilities. That is it.
The way it is right now is that income support is responsible for benefits such as food and some things like that, but they are being looked after in facilities that are run by Health and Social Services. When we say that these folks are unable to pay, there is a fee for staying in extended and long term care facilities, which, if people have the means, they do pay. I think that it is $712 a month. This is to address the issue.
It is not a large enough amount of money to be talking about the population at large. It is specifically referring to indigent seniors and persons with disabilities currently living in long term care and extended care.