Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I take it the Government will not oppose this motion and I am delighted to hear that. There can be no denying that we are an ageing population. When I look into a mirror I see it, as I normally do when I look around this Chamber. I do not see it so much tonight but it is evident on other occasions, and certainly during votes. One sees a lot of grey hairs here and this institution reflects what is happening in the country as a whole. By 2026 there will be approximately 908,000 people aged 65 years and older, accounting for 16% of the population. I do not count those over 65 as old but that is the statistic. By 2045 there will be three working people to every one older person, which will be down from the ratio of six to one that currently exists. This is a sobering thought and a fundamental change which, unless it is planned for, will cause chaos and harm, particularly for our senior citizens.

Older people could be forgiven for thinking this Government does not have a good record when it comes to making decisions that affect their future. We have witnessed cuts to the housing benefits package, living alone allowance, carers allowance and home help service cuts. We have seen a reduction or the withdrawal of financial supports for house conversions to enable senior citizens to stay in their own homes. Every rural transport cut, every post office closed, every health service delay impacts directly and most severely on our senior citizens.

Cuts to fuel allowance are a particular cut that can have a major impact on the lives of the elderly. Fuel poverty is in my brief and is in many respects a matter of distributive injustice as it is the poorest in society who are often those who suffer greatest from the lack of adequate heat. Not only does a lack of adequate heating make conditions more uncomfortable for those households, it can have a direct impact on their physical and mental health. Sinn Féin believes the fuel allowance should be extended by three weeks per annum as a small help in eliminating fuel poverty.

Local authority and housing association tenants frequently tell me that storage heating in their homes is very expensive, particularly in rural areas. Local authority and housing association tenants would much prefer solid fuel cookers because there is a ready availability of supply, even when funding is low. Energy affordability is a factor for senior citizens, as are convenience and safety but if we are to continue to use storage heating in local authority and housing association homes we need to get the costs down dramatically.

If we wish to see an Ireland where our senior citizens can continue living independent, dignified lives we must as a nation, rethink how we design and implement services. We must ensure the organisational bunker thinking of Government, State, semi-State and local government departments changes because there is an attitude which says, "Protect my budget at all costs and forget about the person in respect of whom the decision has been made." Organisational lines are high walls.

We must provide greater support to families who are prepared to care for disabled or elderly people at home. Too often, those who selflessly care for aged relatives feel as if the State views them as unworthy of seeking help. They are made to feel bad for seeking help to do the right thing by ageing relatives. We must also look at minimising dependence on community nursing units by providing independent living apartments supported by central catering and care units for people who would not be capable of independent living at home. An excellent example is Aras Bhride in Drumkeerin in my constituency. People love it there and are safe. They are not quite independent enough to live at home but they can live in their own community. It is an excellent model. It is not under the HSE nor a council but is a service which maintains the independence of those who avail of it.

I commend the Deputies who tabled this most important motion and thank them for doing so.

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