Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I welcome the fact it is taking place because it helps bring further into the open the dreadful difficulties at Leas Cross. It must cause us to reflect on the possibility that Leas Cross was not alone in the difficulties it faced and it puts a strong moral obligation on the Government not just to investigate individual cases but to ensure a full and positive response.

An inspectorate is vital. We must ensure all institutions which care for the elderly, be they private residential homes or public district hospitals, offer the highest standards of accommodation possible. The people who reside at such places must be given all the attention they require and an inspectorate must ensure that happens.

I support the concluding comments of Senator Cummins on assisting the elderly to remain in their homes for as long as possible, which should be central to any debate we hold on the elderly. I also welcome the work done by Senator White in publishing her proposals. It is interesting that the Senator has brought forward two policy papers, one dealing with child care, the other with care of the elderly. We have debated child care much in the past couple of years and some progress has been made, though there is a long way to go. We have not, however, matched that debate at the other end of the spectrum with an equivalent one on care for the elderly and the ageing process, and how to plan ahead in that context.

It depresses me that the only solution we seem able to find is nursing homes. If as a society the extent of our ambition for the elderly is that they have a perfectly clean and comfortable bed in a clean and comfortable nursing home or district hospital, fully regulated and open to inspection with all medical support available, we have many questions to answer. We must revert to attempting to ensure the maximum number of citizens can remain with their families and in their communities. That should be our ambition for the elderly.

Consider the demographics of the country. The population is ageing; people can now aspire to living longer than was the case heretofore. While this gives rise to certain difficulties, it also creates opportunities. It is a question of what our political and social ambitions for the elderly are. Whether it is Leas Cross, another private nursing home or a district hospital in which people reside when no other option is available, we must ensure the accommodation is of the highest standard. However, it is only a partial answer to what we as a society and particularly as Members of the Oireachtas owe to the elderly, the people who built this country.

A great deal could be done. I hope in the budget next week there will be further progress on ways to ensure people can remain with their family and friends in their community. The carer's allowance scheme is one which, if amended slightly and at modest cost, could help many more to remain in their homes. We have debated this issue previously with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan. From the figures he provided in the course of the debate on social welfare matters last year it appears that the cost of removing the means test and providing the maximum carer's allowance for those providing full-time care and attention for those in need of it would be modest in the context of overall social welfare provision. I hope there will be progress in that regard.

Senator Cummins mentioned sheltered care residential units, about which a great deal more could be done. There are tax breaks and investment allowances on construction of all types, from holiday homes to car parks to student accommodation. It would be valid to bring forward tax relief proposals for the construction of residential care units for the elderly in towns and villages where people could live independently but with a certain level of care available. More money should be provided for grant schemes such as the disabled person's grant scheme. Planning policy should be examined in order that where people are seeking to build a granny flat or a suitable alternative unit of accommodation near their family home for an elderly relative, it would be considered a welcome development rather than a planning difficulty. These suggestions should be considered seriously.

Having perfect nursing homes and district hospitals, while that is necessary and should be an aspiration, is far from the complete answer to what society should attempt to provide for the elderly. It is a challenge. The demographics of our society have changed to the extent that the magazine Ageing Matters states that by 2050 Irish people older than 65 years will outnumber those under 16. That statistic brings opportunities and challenges but it also shows the scale of the task we face. It must confirm the fact that the nursing home solution, as a stand-alone solution to care of the elderly, is well off target. The political challenge is to seek to support every effort that will allow people to remain in their community, whether that is by way of grant aid, tax initiatives or support through the various social welfare schemes. That is best for the elderly and their families and, in the long run, society.

Nursing homes, be they private nursing homes or public district hospitals, will continue to play a role in care of the elderly. We must ensure the highest standard of care and accommodation is provided. The Leas Cross report is a wake up call. There is also the issue of profiting from investment in nursing homes. We read about consortia and various groups reflecting on the possibility of buying chains of nursing homes in Britain or Ireland and reports in which the elderly are described as a growing market, as if they were an economic prospect for financial gain. That is worrying. If that is how we see the issue, this has become a very cold society.

The challenge starts in the budget next week and the measures the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs put in place to provide for the elderly. As we have a booming economy, sufficient resources must be provided to care for them. They are more than the grey vote; they are not simply units of the electorate or the economy. They are the people who built this country and deserve a great deal more than they have received from Governments during the years.