Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This special debate has been brought about by my colleague, Deputy Mary Butler, and it has probably been one of the most moving debates in which I have participated since becoming a Member of this Dáil back in late February. I compliment Deputy Butler on the way she made her case earlier, supported by our health spokesperson, Deputy Billy Kelleher.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, for her response to the motion. I am sure the Ministers of State who are in the Chamber now, Deputies O'Donovan and Corcoran Kennedy, take the same view as their colleague. We are all touched by this issue in some way or another. I was glad Deputy Ó Caoláin mentioned the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, which does extraordinary work throughout the country and is a wonderful advocate for families of people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This issue impacts on so many lives, not just those affected by these conditions but also the loved ones who care for them on a daily basis. Speaking to those who care for people with Alzheimer's disease, one often finds they are broken-hearted by their loved one's condition.

A 2012 survey showed that local health office areas in the HSE west region have the highest prevalence rates for these conditions, with each of the nine areas estimated to have at least 1% of its population living with dementia. My own county of Roscommon has the highest share of people with dementia, at 1.4%. The lowest rate, meanwhile, is in west Dublin. There are 55,000 people in Ireland living with dementia and a further 165,000 directly affected by it. It is expected that one in three people aged over 65 years in this country will develop dementia and that the number living with the condition will double in the next 20 years and treble in the next 35 years.

Fianna Fáil wants to see progressive increases in the investment in home-care supports for people with dementia in the coming years in order to meet the needs of persons in the community living with the disease. We need flexible health and social care services based on individual needs. Some 63% of people with dementia live at home. Most people with the condition want to be cared for at home and that is also the wish of their families. It is important that we all give this matter our full attention. How to deal with the needs of people with dementia is one of the fastest-growing problems for the health service. As a society, we must prepare for the implications of an ageing population. That means resourcing services, supporting carers and investing in research.

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