Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The question is probably incorrectly worded. Our plan is to grow the dementia adviser network from the current eight to 33 throughout the country. A dementia adviser costs €70,000. We had this conversation with the Minister of State before the budget last year. I know money does not grow on trees and the Department has a specific budget that it has to work with. However, as I said to the Minister on the previous occasion, the ask is €2.31 million in order to have 33 dementia advisers in place. I ask the Minister of State to consider an incremental pathway. If we had eight a year for the next four years, we would reach the target and that would make a major difference.

As I have told the Minister of State previously, I understand that there are budgetary constraints, but we must start somewhere. We have eight advisers in place, but we need 33. If another eight could be provided this year and a further eight the following year, that would be helpful.

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