Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very impressed with the variations of the therapies that are available. They can go further as well. It is a very interesting time. Modern technology and modern communications such as Facebook, Skype and all those things are very often a nuisance for us but in that particular area they have considerable potential. We would be interested in promoting and supporting those ideas insofar as we can.

The society has done a lot of useful research to inform themselves but also to inform us. To inform the wider community is another story. It is more difficult to do. Modern telephony, Skype and all that kind of thing can do quite a bit more in that area, particularly in triggering memories, especially positive memories and things that they associate with memories.

Another thing that is important to bring to public attention is deafness. Not everyone is aware of that to the extent they should . It can be improved further and there is nothing to be gained by people suffering from it. We all know people who can hear quite well when you do not want them to hear, but if there is background noise at the same time, they cannot hear anything or they virtually cannot hear anything. That is an area on which we could do more and expand the potential with a view to picking up people in that area. Again, technology comes into it because an awful lot can be done. I see many people who have hearing aids of one type or another in to assist with distance noise, local noise and so on. There is a whole area there from which we can benefit in this area.

On friendship, there is the need for sufferers and their families who may also be carers, to be able to recognise that there is a friendship group out there. Someone who knows full well what the situation is and is welling and anxious to help for mutual benefit. It will improve things for everyone.

I would like to be associated with the Chair’s remarks about Crooksling. I used to be on the visiting committee in the old Eastern Health Board days. It is so sad to see the destructive element in today’s society that sees nothing better to do than to light a fire and damage public property that cost money to put there in the first place. In the 1940s and 1950s when that was built, it filled a very important role in this country, namely the fight against TB, and it continued to play a very important role fore older people and people with dementia, including the most severely affected people. They were looked after, their every need cared for. Staff were around them all the time. There was something happening all the time. It played a huge role. It was a diminishing role because different circumstances intervened. I do not know if that is right; it was working very well as it was. It worked extremely well by trial and error. There was a great level of care, support and comfort was made available to the women who went in there. They covered all of our constituencies.