Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleague in commending the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on her steadfast commitment in this area. I know it has been the defining principle of her career to date. She has put the care, protection and well-being of our elderly and the people who made this country what it is to the forefront of her raison d'être in political life and she is to be commended on that.

She is an outstanding advocate and passionate speaker at all times, and a great defender of our elderly population. We greatly admire that and take great pride in the fact that she is a member our party. It is a steadfast principle of this party that we will first and foremost protect and set out to safeguard at all times the elderly people of this country. Notwithstanding that, it remains a huge challenge. As many speakers said and as the ESRI report sets out, we are thankfully getting older. I am getting to a stage in life when people tell me I will live to a great age. I think about it, and I am getting a lot closer to that age than I was.

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