Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for leaving the meeting, although I heard some of the contributions. I welcome the delegates, particularly the representatives of the Support and Advocacy Service for Older People, SAGE, whom I met in Croke Park in October. It is nice to see them again.

I read some of the documents submitted to the joint committee last night. The document, Think Ahead, while relatively short and compact, is one of the best I have read in a long time. It encourages people to make a written statement on what should be done with the family home and so forth after they have passed away. I give copies of the document to visitors to my constituency office. Not only is it a good read but it also includes a form which people can fill in stating what should happen before and after they pass away. Many families find themselves in turmoil when family members die or become very ill because a loved one has failed to appreciate the value of committing to paper his or her wishes in the event of his or her death. This should not only be done by older persons. Some time ago I met a young girl who has, unfortunately, since passed away. We spoke about her wishes after her death and I explained the document, Think Ahead, to her. I also provided her with a copy, although I do not know if she managed to read it.

As a public representative, I frequently meet people who are distraught because wills have not been made by family members before their death. Housing causes particular problems in this regard. Families should sit down together and discuss in advance what should happen with property if someone passes away because problems in this regard can cause families to fall out for generations. Dealing with this issue is part of my role as a public representative. It is often a sad time because people can feel inadequate and lost in the system. For this reason, I support the Think Ahead initiative which should be supported. For example, copies of the document should be made available in every library, hospital, nursing home, day care centre, primary care centre, college and school. We must all make plans for when we are no longer here.

Inclusion Ireland provided statistics for the numbers of adverse events recorded by Irish hospitals and health care facilities in 2011. We learned that there were 10,000 incidences of violence, harassment, aggression or abuse of patients in that year, of which more than 4,300 involved physical assaults on patients, including persons with disabilities. We all saw the shocking television programme showing residents of a nursing home being abused, including being beaten. The individuals in question were abused and made to feel unworthy. Are the data from 2011 the most recent available? Has the position improved or worsened since? I refer, in particular, to nursing homes.

I visit relatives and neighbours in a number of nursing homes. The care I see is top-notch, although things may be different behind closed doors. People are also being abused in families, with older people, in particular, sometimes being neglected in the family home. How do we reach into private homes, as opposed to nursing homes and so forth, and advocate for those being abused at home? This issue has been neglected to a certain extent. If it were not for home help services and carers who visit older people daily, some of them would be left in desperate conditions, with serious implications for their physical and mental health. I compliment those who work in these areas. Perhaps the delegates from Inclusion Ireland will respond to my question on the figures for 2011.