Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support my colleague, Deputy Butler. Some 55,000 people are now suffering from dementia and we know that figure will double in the next decade. We also know that 62% of those people are cared for at home with the help of family and support packages. Regarding those who have to go into a nursing home, however, St. Joseph's Shankill is the only dedicated nursing home for patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. At the invitation of Ms Siobhan Grant, I visited St. Joseph's last year and I was incredibly impressed with the level of care, support and love evident. A new model has been put into place using the butterfly approach. Instead of 60 people being in one institution, these patients are in six small centres. The work there is invaluable and I beseech the Taoiseach and the Minister to ensure that funding is allocated to keep this fabulous centre open.

See this speech in context