Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is important we take this opportunity to speak on this very important matter. The Government has stated from its initiation and reiterated in the National Positive Ageing Strategy in 2013 that its policy was to enable people to age with confidence, security and dignity in their home and communities as long as possible. I do not believe anybody in this Chamber or elsewhere would speak against that laudable aim. However, as has been shown, the Government has acted contrary to that stated policy.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has emphasised in its publications the need to ensure older people's human rights and dignity. That is similar to the Government's aim. It has also stated that this can be done by enabling older people to stay at home for as long as possible through the provision of home care that is both available and adequate. It is not just half an hour every day or four hours when 20 hours are required. It needs to be available and adequate. Despite this and the Government's 2013 National Positive Ageing Strategy, of the total budget for older people's services, only 14%, €190 million, was spent on home help service and only 9% spent on home care packages.

These are the two services that support independent living "with confidence, security and dignity" as the Government promised. It is clear that Government resources are not aligned to its stated policy and have not been since it took office. Since 2009 the number of people aged 65 and over has increased by over 20%. The Central Statistics Office predicts in its demographic trends that this increase will continue over the next ten years and by 2016, 16% of the population will be 65. That shows how Ireland has developed but it also poses a challenge to us as legislators and to Government to budget. We know that 91% of older people rely on the State pension and related supports to protect them against poverty. That will put a huge pressure on State funding and our already stretched health service, on hospital beds and acute hospital services. We need to consider whether we are spending the money properly. The State is concentrating on subsidising private nursing home beds. Alone has said that one in three of those in nursing home beds could be supported to live in the community thus relieving pressure on State finances because it has been shown that living in one’s home and community is more cost-effective in the long run. There needs to be a shift in emphasis in respect of the home help packages and home care.

Enabling older people to live at home could reduce the amount of grant aid required for a nursing home. Ireland has 35% more older people in nursing homes than other EU country. That figure was published by Alone. Moving the one in three from nursing homes to their own homes would be a job well done. That does not seem, however, to be the trend under this or the previous Government.

I condemn the litany of cuts which have cumulatively inflicted hardship on older people, in particular those who are dependent on social welfare during the lifetime of this Government. They have shouldered an unfair and scandalous burden. I heard the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection say in this debate last night that everything is rosy and that the Government is living up to the commitment made in 2013 that it would "enable people to age with confidence, security and dignity in their home and communities for as long as possible". We must not forget what has happened, that this Government has slashed the housing benefits package, the fuel allowance, the Christmas bonus, the living alone allowance, medical cards, the carer's allowance, home help hours, home adaptation grant and dental and optical benefits, as well as rural transport services. There are extra charges, which include the introduction of prescription charges, property tax, water charges, universal social charge for anyone with an additional income, the pension levy and the loss of the free passport. All this came at a time when the cost of living increased, as well as the cost of electricity, gas and fuel, forcing older people to choose between heating their homes, paying prescription charges or putting food on their tables. If we are moving out of the period of austerity we have an opportunity to be fairer and to concentrate on the weakest in society, especially those who depend on social welfare, who have no opportunity to increase their income, particularly pensioners. We should consider, for example, increasing the respite care grant, the home help hours and home care packages. We should also increase the living alone allowance and reverse some of the cuts heaped on senior citizens and others who depend on social welfare, for example, by reinstating the fuel allowance. Our party wants to ensure that older people can live independently in dignity and comfort in their homes and communities for as long as possible. I will live up to that commitment if I am ever in government. I ask the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy English, to live up to that commitment now. The Government has not done so to date. It has a few short months left and there needs to be a change in the way funding is allocated to older people’s services so that a greater portion of money goes towards keeping people in their homes, if appropriate. If it is more cost-effective to have home help and home care packages, that is the way to go rather than to subsidise a growing industry of nursing homes when in many ways it would be much more appropriate for people to be in their homes for the last years or months of their lives and enjoy their retirement and later years rather than feel them as a burden.

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