Waiting lists for places in nursing homes could be set to double by the end of the year.

The HSE has warned that the waiting time for a place under the Fair Deal scheme could go from 11 weeks to 20 by December.

The Oireachtas health committee has been told that the numbers on the waiting list will remain at over 2,000 unless extra funding is offered.

Junior minister Kathleen Lynch says the crisis had been predicted for some time: