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

Like Deputy O'Loughlin, I speak on as many issues as I can. I thank Deputy Butler for giving me some time. We have a major difficulty in Roscommon. The community healthcare organisation, CHO 2, area, covers a population of 475,000 in counties Mayo, Roscommon and Galway. There are 1,246 people in the area waiting on a home care package, which is shocking considering it is one of the smaller areas.

Per head of population, my county of Roscommon has the highest rate of Alzheimer's disease in the country. It also has a large elderly population. We need to get home care packages in place without delay. As Deputy Breathnach pointed out, the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase from one in eight to one in six of the population by 2030. The number of people aged 85 and over is projected to almost double by 2030. There will also be a major increase in the number of people with dementia in the coming decades. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has forecast increased demand for home care of up to 66% by 2030 relative to 2015.

Why is the Government not taking this matter seriously? We must address it. I will cite one example that involves a constituent of mine whom we will call "Kay". I have lodged appeals on Kay's behalf numerous times and she has been unsuccessful in securing a home support package. She has undergone many reviews and has been on the waiting list for a service since September 2017. Her family are anxious that she secure a long-term home care package as she would like to continue to live at home. I understand Kay received approval for three hours of home support but resources were not available at the time. Unfortunately, she is still waiting for home care to this day. She has mobility issues, is diabetic, suffers blackouts and is in the early stages of dementia. She is a 73 year old lady who, in the words of her general practitioner, GP, is in dire need of a carer. She lives in a remote area with her son but he works some distance away and is not with her during the day. She suffered numerous falls over the past year and is on many different medications, as is made clear in the GP's letter to which I referred. That is the best way to describe the crisis we have in our system. We have to deal with the issue. While I welcome the more than 500 home care packages announced by the Minister today, more than 220 of them are needed in County Roscommon at this very moment. These packages are appreciated but they will do little to bring down the waiting lists.

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