Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the detailed reply which was clearly prepared by the Department. As regards his earlier comments, he has become so impressed by his line of defence which seems to lay all blame at the door of the previous Administration, that he clearly did not even listen to what I said. Nowhere did I suggest a greater level of funding was required, but we are talking about a greater level of advanced planning and about developing a strategy for older people - a positive ageing strategy. That does not require the expenditure of additional moneys, nor does it require the Minister to lecture me on how we got to where we are. If I had the time, I might remind the Minister of the positions his party took over the past ten years and the approach he took in the preparation of those economic policies at the time. I might well be minded to alert him to some of the promises he made prior to the most recent general election. He has continued to make many such promises but has yet to deliver on them. This is one such promise.

It is a matter of reassigning resources within the Department. It is about the Government having a positive approach to active ageing. It is also about redeploying resources within the particular Department in order that there will be an appropriate strategy. It will have to take cognisance of the financial resources available. We will have another debate about that but let us develop a strategy based on facts so that when there is a budget, appropriate recognition can be given to the strategy. We can worry about funding it at a later stage, but let us have the facts.

I am pleased that this will be done early in the new year, but we need to get on with it. There is no point saying in September that we will have it in October and when it does not happen then, saying we will have it by Christmas. The Government cannot even get that bit of planning right. It is one thing saying something in advance of an election, but the Government has now been in office for two years and it is still operating month by month. We now have a commitment that it will be early in the new year, but does that mean the first or second term? The Government should show some regard for the elderly who have been so important in building this State. The Government should recognise their experience and talent. They should publish the strategy and then we can have a debate about how it is financed. The Minister can talk about the IMF and I will talk about the promises that Fine Gael made, and we can have more fun.

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