John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputies Tom Fleming, Maureen O'Sullivan, Michael Fitzmaurice and Thomas Pringle for bringing forward this motion. With so many new parties and groupings in recent times, it is good to see a group of Deputies putting forward sensible suggestions on how we treat the elderly.

The motion comes up with many common-sense proposals into which parties on all sides of the House could buy. I am glad that the Government is not opposing the motion and that it has acted on some of the proposals made already. As was pointed out by Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, the Christmas bonus was partially restored. I very much support the idea that it be fully restored in the upcoming budget. Funding has been put in place to address waiting times under the fair deal scheme, which has shortened waiting times from 16 weeks to four. Obviously, as well as easing the stress and trauma for families who want their elderly cared for in a nursing home setting, this was badly needed because, as well as allowing elderly presons to move out of acute beds, it freed up beds in hospitals.

It is, of course, the wish of the elderly and their families that they be cared for in a home setting, if at all possible. I understand €185 million worth of home help services, or 10.3 million hours, has been allocated in 2015 and that €114 million has been allocated for home care packages. I very much support the idea of increased funding in all of these areas, as resources allow. As well as giving the elderly security and the comfort of being cared for in their own homes, it allows faster throughput in carrying out elective surgery and means fewer patients on trolleys in accident and emergency units throughout the country.

Two of the other proposals issues referred to in the motion are very sensible. One concerns the need to prioritise and maintain the household benefits package, including gas and electricity allowance units and the free television licence. The number of units should be increased and restored to at least what it was previously. Reducing energy prices continues to be important and although there were some recent decreases, energy prices remain volatile. At some of our committee meetings with the various providers their advice was to switch energy provider at least once a year to gain the most benefit. The issue is that many elderly people, in particular, do not have the knowledge or capability to know how to switch. As it is mostly elderly persons who does not switch, they do not save money. Some method should be put in place to make it easy for them to switch, which would mean that they could carry forward their free allowance units. People have come to my office who have switched and then lost the benefits of the free units. There are also other complications. Something needs to be done to gives a sense of security to the elderly and an easy way to switch their energy provider.

The State pension was maintained during the economic crash, which is to be welcomed. That was in contrast to the actions of the previous Government which abolished the Christmas bonus, cut carer's allowance and the disability allowance twice. It also cut the blind pension, the widow's pension and invalidity pension. Any restoration of these payments should be prioritised.

Free travel is an important topic. I know that the scheme has been reviewed recently and that Opposition parties can sometimes scaremonger in a way that concerns older people who come up to Deputies in the street and say things like, "Do not touch our free travel." It is very important that the scheme is not touched, but it is also important that people realise it is a central policy of the Government. I understand there are 771,000 people with free travel passes and, when companions are taken into account, there are over 1.1 million who can avail of the scheme.

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