Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Parnell for a really clear presentation and a very good plan. It is particularly good to see that the plan is a dynamic one, and that the Department of Rural and Community Development is open to new themes, ideas and issues being absorbed into it as it progresses. That means that when we are speaking with the Department's officials we can flag issues that may need further consideration. The area I am particularly interested in is the social fabric in rural areas, particularly within the ageing population. On 26 October, the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, published a report which stated that between 2015 and 2030, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 will grow from an eighth to a sixth, and the number of people over 85 is due to double.

I am the co-convenor of the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, of which Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, Senator Maura Hopkins and Deputy Seán Canney are active members. There are 55,000 people with dementia today, with very high concentrations in rural areas. On one of my first days here, Deputy Fitzmaurice pointed out to me that Roscommon probably has the highest rate of dementia in the country. The HSE's National Dementia Office is currently carrying out a mapping exercise determining where people with dementia live. That body is also examining the match of services. We know anecdotally that where the concentrations are highest, particularly in rural areas, there are the fewest services. That is a big part of social infrastructure, and it is something that is going to grow.

Also, the models that will work in rural areas will not be the same as the models that work in urban areas. For example, home care and assistive technology will be more important for people with dependancies such as dementia and disabilities. What consideration has been given to this piece of the social care infrastructure and is the Department open to ideas in that regard, including to working with the national dementia office or the Department of Health which has held a consultation on home care? Is the Department of Rural and Community Development open to cross-departmental engagement on this issue and to piloting innovative approaches in this regard?

In regard to housing, does the town and village renewal scheme include housing? There are currently 200,000 vacant and derelict properties-sites throughout the country. The house in which I grew up has not been occupied since we sold it many years ago. I come from a family of ten. The house has six bedrooms and it is located on the main street of my home town of Macroom. There are many more vacant properties around the country at a time when we are experiencing a housing crisis. What interface is there between the Department and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in this regard? As well as jobs, rural people need a place to live and live well, particularly in the small towns and villages. I accept that the Department of Rural and Community Development is not the lead Department in respect of housing provision but housing forms part of sustainable communities. I would be interested to hear the witnesses comments on social care, in particular dementia services for older people, and on whether it is open to further engagement on the issue.