Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

This is a great opportunity for us to have our say on a Bill for many elderly people we represent in our communities. When this Bill was published, I was looking forward to the many areas it could cover. On reading it, I was disappointed. The contents of the Bill show more of what is not there than what it contains. A glorious opportunity to address the huge issues concerning elderly people in our community was missed.

Everybody who represents people or carries out work for the elderly in the community knows only too well the large amount of issues which concern the elderly people in our communities. The population is growing older, and we are all keeping ourselves fit because of better health care. People are living longer, and as a result, much pressure is being put on the system.

Report after report has been published with regard to the elderly in our community. The Ombudsman has looked at nursing home subventions. The national health information strategy was published in November 2001, and following its publication the Government published its national health strategy, in which it promised to clarify and define eligibility for health and personal social services.

That was never acted on. With the Sustaining Progress special care initiative, the Government gave a commitment to publish the study and examine the future of long-term care. What has happened to this? The Ombudsman also considered the issue. The O'Shea report contained significant issues, findings and recommendations. It pointed out, in one document, problems which exist for the elderly in our communities and what needs to be done.

One could go right across the board, even to simple issues such as housing aid for the elderly, which was mentioned. The lack of funding for housing aid for the elderly is a disgrace. In every area across the country, it is seen as one of the finest schemes devised, if it is funded. However, it is not. Every May, June or July the funding runs out — in some areas it has already run out for this year. At a time when huge resources are available to Government and we boast about how strong the economy is, simple projects that would make life much easier for the elderly in our community cannot be delivered.

The aim must be to allow people to live in their communities. Most of our elderly want to stay where they have become accustomed to live, with their families, and do not want to be put into long-stay care, though some obviously must. Grandchildren want their grandparents to live with them but we have not seriously addressed the issue. Last weekend I attended a funeral in my constituency where three grandchildren of a 95 year old lady, though sad at her death, expressed pride at the fact that they had looked after her in their home. A 95 year old lady was sent from Tipperary to Waterford Regional Hospital, where she was kept waiting for a full day for a small problem with her eyesight to be attended to. She is now deceased. Such treatment is unfair in a State such as this.

Many families have been waiting a long time for subvention, which is an onerous burden. All of us, as public representatives, deal with the issue in our communities on a regular basis. Only last week I attended another funeral of a person aged 87 who had been seeking the subvention from the health board and then the HSE in the county. He paid his taxes all his life and had worked very hard. He had one leg amputated a year and a half ago and was fighting with the health services for three years to resolve an issue. A week ago last Monday he was informed he would get the subvention but he only lived until the following Friday. It is unacceptable that such a situation should develop. I do not wish to frighten anybody but these are examples of how we, a supposedly Christian, caring country, treat our elderly people.

I do not enjoy citing those examples but they are facts. We must bring legislation before this House as soon as possible to address the plight of the elderly and improve their quality of life. The Bill deals only with a small aspect of the problem. Support services for the many people who wish to remain in their community are dismal. Public health nurses——

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