Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the office were established, my understanding is that the cost would be around €2 million. That €2 million would be a very good investment in dealing with this area.

I go back to 2004, when I wore a different cap and I acted in a legal capacity for many elderly people in nursing homes. As a result of that challenge in 2004, we brought about a sea change over the following three or four years in how we dealt with people who were having to go into nursing homes for care. We set up the fair deal scheme, which is a very good scheme. Likewise, we need now to make sure we have a very comprehensive package in respect of home care.

The other challenge we have is that as people get older there are an increasing number with dementia. I think there are more than 64,000 people with dementia in Ireland now. The figure may be higher, but that is the figure I have established. They are people who need particular protection and support.

There are two other sea changes in Ireland. One is the fact that families are smaller now and, therefore, there is not the same level of support that was there, say, 25 or 30 years ago. The second, which will be a challenge not so much in the next ten years but certainly in the next 20 years is people who were not born here in Ireland but who have moved here and do not have any immediate family support. As they get older they will need protection and the necessary level of support needs to be put in place. Therefore, we should have a commissioner identifying all these issues and working with a Minister, such as the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to make sure the challenges people who are retired face can be adequately looked after. It would be a huge achievement for the Minister of State to deliver on this while she holds her role. I thank her again for all the work she is doing in this area.

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