Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am approaching the hearings as a learning exercise in the hope that when we bring together the report that we will be able to add our voice and put together recommendations. I am in no way an expert on the issue. A wealth of experience is evident in this first session.

My question relates to the call for a national strategy. Many of the points could be integrated in a strategy. How realistic is the call at the moment? Wearing my other hat on children’s issues, we are close to finalising a strategy. How close is the strategy in this area? I wonder how much we should pin on the strategy as we wait for it.

We have to get down to dealing immediately with some of the component parts of the issues the witnesses have raised with us. The issues I am considering include community care, the timeliness of such care, the care of people in their own homes - the statistics have been given in this regard - and how such care complements the medical health care system. I deliberately use the word "complement" rather than "compete". I am interested to know about the strategy in that regard.