Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is clear from the contributions made on all sides of the House that everyone wants to do the best possible for those with dementia and that there is substantial agreement on what is required to give them the best quality of life.

Only a few short years ago, dementia was hardly understood at all. While matters have improved, we are still well short of where we want to be. The key message is that people who have developed dementia are still the people they always were. They worry, laugh, get angry and sad, and they feel lonely and happy just as they always did. They also continue to enrich our lives and help those around them.

This motion is substantially in line with what the Government has committed to do. Those with dementia must be included within our communities and supported to remain as valued members of same. It is where they belong and where they want to be.

I am hopeful that, before too long, the many strands of medical research that are under way will allow more decisive medical intervention in the course of this condition, but we are not there yet. That said, evidence is increasingly indicating that lifestyle choices over many years can have an effect on the likelihood of dementia occurring, and perhaps even more on the age at which it occurs. Diet, physical and mental activity and social connectedness all seem to act alongside genetics in influencing what happens. It is critical that we get this message to those who may be concerned. This is being addressed as part of the Irish national dementia strategy and the wider health promotion efforts under the Healthy Ireland initiative.

The national dementia strategy was based on extensive consultation and significantly shaped by advice received from health professionals, advocacy groups and academics. It seeks to draw together the elements of support that matter most to those with dementia and those who live with and care for them. These range from the role of the general practitioner, GP, which is often the first point of contact with the health system for a concerned person, to advice and case management, more specialist diagnosis, home care, awareness raising and, finally, acute and palliative care. Inevitably, this includes a large number of services and, unfortunately, we cannot do everything immediately. In collaboration with Atlantic Philanthropies, however, we are carefully prioritising what to do first and will continue to spread the net wider as we move further through implementation.

A significant benefit of the strategy is the establishment within the HSE of a national dementia office, which is charged with the ongoing prioritisation of issues and services relevant to those with dementia. This office can bring a much clearer focus to these issues and facilitate the framing of a more effective case for additional resources for dementia in future.

I thank Deputies for contributing on this motion. The Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, is looking forward to working with colleagues from across the House to develop and strengthen the supports that are provided to those with dementia over the coming months and years.

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