Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank each witness for their detailed and useful presentations. They outlined that in 25 years’ time, the number of people living with dementia will have tripled. It makes sense that people should be supported to live at home for as long as possible. There are waiting lists for the fair deal scheme, and with 20,000 people going over the age of 65 each year for the next number of years, it makes sense for people to be cared for at home. I was particularly interested in the south Tipperary dementia pilot project, especially in the way the witnesses personalised the stories in the presentation.

The presentation stated that there is a single point of contact in south Tipperary. I presume each of the eight pilot schemes has this single point of contact. Do people from outside the Tipperary area make contact? Have the witnesses considered temporary sheltered accommodation for people who do not have anybody to care for them? The presentation mentioned that it is possible to delay dementia. Could the witnesses expand on that? Ms Leonard mentioned that the project has provided more than 1 million hours of care to approximately 9,500 people suffering from dementia. Some 50,000 people suffer from dementia. Are the rest of them living in nursing homes or are many people receiving no service at all? The eight dementia advisers deliver a service to 1,760 people. I wonder about all the people who receive no service at all.