Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very taken with the Deputy's concern for older people. Had there been some reasonable planning by him and his colleagues when they were in the previous Government, had they had some reasonable concern for the economic security of older people, had they had some genuine concern about ensuring that all the crucial services were kept in place and maintained, perhaps they would have dealt with matters with greater economic and fiscal responsibility and insight. Let us not be naive and think that the world started on 9 March 2011 or that the Deputy, his party and their history and economic record are of no relevance to the current plight of older people. I know quite a number of older people whose financial security was destroyed by the crass economic negligence and incompetence of the previous Government. However, when it comes to this particular strategy, there is a commitment to provide it and I reiterate that a considerable amount of preparatory work has been completed. There is a need to complete the cross-departmental consultation process that is taking place, because this is a strategy that will have affect a broad range of Departments and work is ongoing with regard to the strategy. I am advised that final drafting of the strategy is proceeding within the Departments.

However, one should also recognise there are constraints with regard to available staff in dealing with these matters, not just because of other priorities but because of the obligation on the Government to downsize the public service, an obligation derived from the agreement entered into with the troika by the Deputy's party and derived from the necessity to ensure the Government gets the public finances in order and reduces public expenditure. Consequently, if some matters take longer to come to fruition than may have been possible six or seven years ago, there is a reason for that. Regardless of whether it makes the Deputy uncomfortable, I am afraid the foundation reason for this is what occurred in the context of alleged economic and fiscal policy between the years 2000 and 2010, when the Deputy's party was in government. However, I assure the Deputy that the present Administration is committed to producing the strategy, which forms part of the programme for Government. The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is doing everything possible to ensure it is published as early as is practicable in the new year, when the cross-departmental consultation process has been completed.

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