Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is my first opportunity as a Deputy to bring a motion before the House. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Kelleher, that it is a non-contentious proposal, and with Deputy Harty that it also is a sensible one. I am delighted it has attracted such a high level of cross-party support. A small number of Members have chosen not to support it, which is their choice.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, for her comprehensive response. She explained that 500 people with dementia and their families are expected to benefit from the intensive home-care packages over the lifetime of the implementation programme, which is due to expire at the end of 2017. I was concerned about the expiration date and how we might move forward from there, but the Minister of State explained this was only the beginning and it will move on from there. That is most welcome. I thank the Government for supporting this important motion. I take the opportunity, too, to thank Deputy Ó Caoláin and his colleagues in Sinn Féin for their support for the motion. The Deputy referred to the housing adaptation scheme, which is very important to people living at home. I also recognise the work of Senator Colette Kelleher, whose office is close to mine and with whom I worked closely on this motion.

As a society, we must prepare for the implications of an ageing population. I welcome the fact that in the United States, the Democratic Party nominee for President, Hillary Clinton, has committed, if elected, to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease by 2025. Ireland has some of the world's best geneticists and neurobiologists and we can and must play our part in trying to find a cure.

I acknowledge the work of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in supporting people throughout the country who are living with dementia. I am honoured to be chairing a cross-party committee on dementia. My focus in this motion and in my work on the committee is to raise awareness of dementia. That is the most important thing we can do. I welcome the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's vision that nobody should go through dementia alone. Dementia-friendly communities provide an opportunity to demystify dementia so that it is no longer perceived as something to be feared. These communities demonstrate a high level of public awareness and understanding of dementia. In Ireland, such communities are found in Galway, Donegal, Mallow and Wicklow, to name but a few.

Experts in the field have pointed out that with the right information and supports, people can live well with dementia and there need not be a stigma attached to it. Community-based dementia advisers offer a critical early intervention for those living with the condition and help to promote dementia awareness within communities. Since the middle of 2014, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland has funded seven dementia advisers who cover specific parts of the country. It is nowhere near enough but it is a start. If that initiative could be rolled out throughout the country to build a comprehensive dementia advisers network, it would be an important development.

I thank colleagues for their support for the motion. The most important point I want to make is that we must provide the best possible quality of care for people with dementia and the best possible quality of life, preferably in their own home. That is what we are trying to achieve.

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