Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Deputy will agree that none of us, when we come to a point where we need support, would like to have no option other than a bed in a long-stay facility. That is not where older people want to live. They want to live their lives in their own communities, the same as all of us. They have the same dreams as I do or the Deputy does. We are planning for all of this on a regular basis. The positive ageing strategy is in place and we are developing a dementia strategy. We have a whole range of strategies because we know the demographics better than anybody else. The notion of standing up and striking fear into the hearts of vulnerable people and their families is reprehensible.

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