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

He has taken away from Deputy Tom Fleming's good motion.

It is estimated that the over-65 population in Ireland will rise by nearly 220,000 over the next decade, to 803,000 in 2024. The over-85 population will quadruple from 58,200 in 2011 to approximately 262,900 in 2046.

The National Positive Ageing Strategy, which was published in April 2013, seeks to create a shift in mindset in how we view ageing and what needs to be done to promote positive ageing. The strategy seeks to highlight that ageing requires a whole-of-Government response to address a range of interconnected social, economic and environmental factors that affect the health and wellbeing of our ageing citizens.

In addressing the broader determinants of health across the administrative spectrum, the national positive ageing strategy is a new departure in policy-making for ageing in Ireland. Our policies must constantly try to respond to the wish of older people to stay in their own homes for as long as they can. In 2015 there is €185 million available to provide 10.3 million home help hours to 50,000 clients. For home care packages there is €130 million assigned and for intensive home care packages there is €10 million, which is planned to allow for 13,800 people to be in receipt of home care packages at any one time and 190 people to be in receipt of an intensive home care package at any one time.

In considering how we can better support older people to maintain their independence for as long as possible, we must remember those who are affected by dementia. It is estimated that there are approximately 50,000 people with dementia in Ireland today, most but certainly not all of whom are older people. These numbers are expected to increase to over 140,000 by 2041 as the number of older people in Ireland increases. In December 2014, the Government launched the Irish national dementia strategy. The strategy emphasises that most people with dementia live in their own communities and can continue to live well and to participate in those communities for far longer than many people appreciate.

The Department of Health and the HSE have agreed a joint initiative with Atlantic Philanthropies to implement significant elements of the strategy over the period 2014-17. This national dementia strategy implementation programme will represent a combined investment of €27.5 million, with Atlantic Philanthropies contributing €12 million and the HSE contributing €15.5 million. It must be recognised that a proportion of people will always need nursing home care, at least for some period of time. The nursing homes support scheme has made nursing home care accessible to everyone assessed as needing it. The approved budget for the scheme is €993 million which will support almost 24,000 people by the end of 2015. The Government increased this budget by €54 million this year, allowing the waiting time following approval to be brought down to four weeks. This scheme will continue to be a key support for older people into the future.

In short, this Government has accepted that older people are the concern of the entire community and not just the health service. The whole of Government must be responsive. We have reaffirmed our commitment to supporting older people at home and in their own communities, and for those who need residential care we have placed the nursing homes support scheme on a firm and sustainable footing. Finally, we have constantly restated our view that having more older people is not something that we should be negative about. I have heard very little that is positive from some contributors to this debate. The longer lives now being achieved by many people should be celebrated as one of the great achievements of our era.

I appreciate the fact that the Deputy put down this motion. Not everyone is lucky enough to reach older age and we should remember that, from five to 50, it is usually a roll of the dice every day one gets up.

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