Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I thank all the contributors to this debate and commend the Senators for their interest in what is an exciting area, most certainly for me as the recently appointed Minister of State with responsibility for older people. I want to return to some of the issues raised by Senators, both last week and today.

The issue of elder abuse was raised. It was the main topic for discussion at a conference in Galway last week, as Senator Healy Eames stated. It is an area that is high on my agenda. As Senator Healy Eames stated, elder abuse takes many forms — psychological, physical, sexual and financial. No doubt it thrives on secrecy and subtlety. One of my concerns would be to raise the awareness of its existence, first and foremost. Senator Healy Eames is correct that it is a significant challenge for all of us. We must acknowledge that the findings to date show that the vast majority of elder abuse cases are carried out at home and by people the person knows and who the person may care about and depend upon. It is an area that must be handled with great sensitivity. It was to the credit of the HSE in the region that it highlighted the issue to mark World Day on Elder Abuse. The large attendance from the stakeholders on that day is a clear indication of awareness and that this is an area on which we must work.

Senator Healy Eames mentioned Mr. Joe Meade. The Financial Service Ombudsman is among the many other bodies such as the financial institutions with which we must work to uncover potential areas where elder abuse may occur. That issue needs possibly more time than the few minutes that both Senator Healy Eames and I have been given today here in the Seanad, but we are still grateful for the opportunity.

Nursing home inspections was raised on the previous occasion I was here in the Seanad. I want to give assurances on the levels and numbers of inspections. In this area the facts speak for themselves. The HSE has a target of two inspections per private nursing home. The public ones are not yet inspected but they will be shortly. On the question of private nursing homes, over 870 nursing home inspections, that is, two inspections per nursing home, were carried out in 2006, all of which were unannounced. The HSE confirms it completed 812 statutory inspections in 2007 — 93% of its target — with the remainder completed in January 2008. The statutory inspections may result in further follow-up inspections. In April 2008 the monitoring report documents that 292 inspections were carried out between January and April of this year. The Health Act 2007 provides for the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. Among its functions, HIQA will take over the independent inspections of all nursing homes, both public and private, early next year.

With regard to the expansion of services, nearly all speakers referred to the recognition that must be given by everybody that older people want to remain at home as long as possible. It behoves those of us in a position to ensure that is done, and that every service and support is provided.

I appreciate that the area of older people is increasing in volume and complexity and I want to place on record the amount of funding that the Government has already put into this area over the past years. Over 2006 and 2007 the Government has put in an additional €400 million into the largest ever expansion of services for older people. This has provided overall funding, in terms of current services, for a total of 4,350 home care packages benefiting over 11,000 clients in 2007.

Some Senators expressed concern about a particular individual in the midlands who was sent home as a stroke patient without any supports. I would be very concerned on hearing that because it would be the duty of the staff at the hospital as well as the public health nurse to arrange the necessary temporary or long-term home care for that person to be supported at home. The idea of home care packages was to support people to remain at home for as long as possible. More than 23 million home help hours have been provided nationally since 2005 with 11.3 million hours in 2006 and 11.7 million hours in 2007. This benefits approximately 53,000 people per annum.

The Bill providing for the fair deal scheme is being finalised by the Office of the Attorney General. The legislation is complex and requires careful drafting to ensure the interests of older people requiring residential care are fully protected. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, intends to publish the Bill as soon as possible following finalisation by the Attorney General and Government approval and to bring the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas thereafter. As the timeframe for bringing the legislation through both Houses is contingent on finalisation of the Bill, more definitive information is not available at this stage.

I fully acknowledge the situation outlined by Senator Phil Prendergast in regard to women who had to leave work under the marriage ban. The pensions strategy group invited submissions from the public. We acknowledge the need for that recognition. The findings of the pensions strategy group will be published shortly. We hope deficits in that area will be recognised in the future.