Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)

I wish to share time with Senator Lydon.

I support the motion and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to have close experience and evidence of the determination of the Tánaiste and Minister of State to provide the best services for elderly people. Recent examples of this determination and of what it can deliver in my own area of Limerick include approval under the capital programme scheme for a dementia unit in Newcastle West and for a hospice unit. I thank the Minister and Minister of State who visited those facilities in the past. I was fortunate enough to be able to arrange a number of meetings at Newcastle West and I am very supportive of the projects. I appreciate the support of the Minister of State.

Today's motion provides more evidence, if it were needed, that this Government and the Tánaiste in particular, put care of the elderly at the heart of budgetary and policy decisions. That must be commended. In Limerick there are some 20,000 persons aged 65 and over, about 11% of the population of the city and county. Like so many other industrialised countries, Ireland will experience a significant ageing of its general population over the coming decades. However, a word of caution is needed. Using statistics can lead us to think of a particular group in society as a uniform group with the same circumstances and needs, which is not the case. We have a duty to provide the most appropriate services for particular cases.

As has been mentioned earlier, the State will, rightly, still support appropriate residential care. That option may be the most appropriate and desirable in some cases but there are a significant number of older people who do not need that level of care. They might need some home help, perhaps a midday meal, help with a bath, physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Social contact is another aspect that should not be underestimated.

Perhaps the most important aspect is choice. A lot of ink is given to issues of respecting the elderly, equality and rights. The true evidence that a society really values any group, but especially the vulnerable, lies in providing them with real choices. Many elderly people wish to stay for as long as possible in their own homes. A state and a government may provide a single safety net for a vulnerable group. That may be adequate but to me it does not seem enough. In this month's edition of Ageing Matters, the Tánaiste writes that care for older people is a top priority for her. She wants our country to fully respect and care for older people and wants this to be a legacy of her time as Minister for Health and Children.

I will conclude with three short comments on what she said. First, the Government parties share the Tánaiste's top prioritisation of care of the elderly. Second, I hope the House joins me in expressing support for the tremendous work being carried out by the Government and by the medical staff in the HSE in this area. Finally, the wide-ranging new services being funded, involving an additional €110 million in 2006 and €150 million in a full year, will go a significant way towards ensuring that full respect and care for older people will be the legacy of the Government.

I especially welcome the €9 million provision for respite care. That is in recognition of the tremendous services being provided, often in a voluntary capacity, throughout the country. That money will allow for an additional 1,300 positions for care in centres, which is to be welcomed. This is the first time a special heading has been inserted in the budget for this area, which is also true for voluntary housing.

Many comments have been made about the great work in voluntary housing across the country, but the €1 million provided under this heading is additional money for therapists and nursing care at these facilities. It is in everyone's interests to keep people in their own communities for as long as possible. This is a tremendous success story carried out by voluntary housing, and I commend the Minister of State for the funding, and wish him well for the future.