Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I listened with great interest to the contributions of Senators to this discussion. I am very grateful for the opportunity to address the Seanad on this issue and to respond to the queries raised by various Senators regarding this very welcome scheme.

I spoke today of the strides taken in developing the new nursing home support scheme and the standards for residential care settings. I would like to conclude by reflecting on the wider policy vista in which these strides are being taken.

The western world enjoys, as never before, the opportunity of ageing. Through our social, scientific and economic progress, human life has been strengthened and prolonged. In ancient Greece life expectancy at birth was 20 years of age. By the 1700s, life expectancy had only increased to 30 years of age. In 2007, just 300 years later, half of all baby girls born in Ireland were expected to live to 100 years of age and beyond.

Our longevity is something to be celebrated. The Government recognises this and is committed to supporting older people. This commitment is reflected in the current social partnership agreement, Towards 2016. In that agreement, the Government and the social partners have adopted a life cycle perspective, placing the person at the centre of social policy development. The vision for older people, as reinforced in Towards 2016, is to provide the support where necessary to enable older people to maintain their health and well-being, as well as to live active and full lives in an independent way in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. There are specific initiatives for older people in the partnership agreement, such as pension and income supports, housing and accommodation, community and residential health care, mobility and promoting education and employment opportunities. The high level objectives of these initiatives, individually and collectively, are intended to make a real and significant improvement in the quality of life of older people.

Of course, a comprehensive policy vision requires a comprehensive cross-departmental approach to policy development and delivery. The establishment of the Office for Older People in January of this year will bring coherence to Government planning, policy and service delivery for older people. The Office for Older People encompasses three Departments — as Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I also have responsibilities in the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I am also a member of the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, which ensures there is an integrated and coherent approach to issues relating to older people at Government level. This approach is crucial to delivering the Government's vision of improved integration of services, thereby further supporting older people into the future.

My office will also continue to develop health policy and will oversee and monitor the delivery of health and personal social services for older people and the running of the long-stay charges scheme. It will, in short, be the focal point for the development of a more comprehensive policy relating to older people. The resources of my office, which is staffed by officials from the Department of Health and Children, will shortly be strengthened by the addition of the staff of the National Council on Ageing and Older People. These new staff will significantly add to the research and overall capacity of my office.

The voluntary sector in general will also make a positive and essential contribution to the development of policy on older people. This will be done primarily through the establishment of a new national advisory council on older people. One of the main functions of this new council will be to advise me on all aspects of the lives of older people. The council will also suggest ways of improving the co-ordination and delivery of services for this section of society.

The establishment of the Office for Older People, the interdepartmental network and the advisory council will bring greater coherence to policy making for older people. These significant new measures will allow for a much greater degree of cross-cutting and will further develop the partnership approach that has featured so strongly in the planning and development of services for older people in recent years.

Within the EU member states, Ireland stands out as having a relatively youthful population. While we are undoubtedly on the same demographic path as our EU counterparts, we are still some way behind. The latest statistics indicate that 11% of people living in Ireland are aged 65 or over. It has been estimated that this figure will rise to 20% by 2036 and to 29% by 2056. Thus, an opportunity exists, while our nation is still young, to carefully plan ahead. This opportunity has been recognised by the Government and manifests itself in particular in two key commitments, namely, the development of a strategy for positive ageing and a future funding model for long-term care.

I am pleased that the key function of my office is to develop a strategy for positive ageing. This new strategy will be developed on a cross-departmental basis. My goal is to ensure that the strategy is meaningful and innovative and will result in real improvements in the lives of older people. The strategy will involve, for example, the development of operational plans by various Departments clearly setting out objectives relating to older people and joined-up thinking on initiatives serving this community. Other areas for consideration include ongoing mechanisms to monitor progress and identify challenges.

The policy vision outlined in Towards 2016 requires a comprehensive, cross-departmental approach. It also requires sustained and sustainable levels of funding. The very significant funding allocated by the Government to services for older people over the past three years is testament to its commitment to the principles in Towards 2016. In 2006 and 2007, just over €400 million was provided to enhance service developments across the sector. Over €165 million of this was for community-based services over the past two years. A further €25 million was provided in 2008 and in the recent budget the funding levels for community services were maintained.

To underpin the objectives in Towards 2016, older people have also been specifically highlighted in the social inclusion priority of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. Some €9.7 billion will be invested under the older people programme, with €4.7 billion allocated to the living at home sub-programme and €5 billion to be provided for the residential care sub-programme. In short, the Government is firmly committed to using the national development plan as a vehicle to translate policy into practice over the period of the plan.

The investment in services for older people in the past few years represents an important foundation on which to build. However, the development of infrastructure requires a sound blueprint and the development of infrastructure of care services responding to future demographic needs is no different. In the years ahead our nation's age profile will change and it is now, while our nation is still young, that we must consider the long-term care services needed to support us over the next half century and the funding model that, by virtue of financial sustainability, might ensure the long-term provision of such supports. That is why the Government and the social partners have agreed to identify a financially sustainable funding model which will support the future infrastructure of care services.

I hope time will allow me to specifically address some of the issues raised by Senators during the course of today's discussion. I was delighted with the interest expressed in the scheme and Senators made very valuable contributions. One of the questions raised related to the timeframe for the introduction of the legislation. It is my understanding that the Whips intend to bring the Nursing Home Support Scheme Bill before the Dáil within the next two weeks. Indeed, I hope the Second Stage debate can begin next week. I am sure much of what will be said in both Houses will be valuable in bringing in the best possible legislation to serve older people into the future.

Senators asked why there was such a delay in producing the legislation. The Bill was delayed due to its complexity. While there were no constitutional difficulties with the Bill, certain legalities had to be ironed out and it took quite some time to get it right. The Government wanted to bring forward legislation that, when enacted, would be user-friendly. To take the example of the care representative, we wanted to make that process as easy as possible. We wanted to ensure that a solicitor would not be required in order for a care representative to come forward and protect the best interests of residents of long-term care institutions. While the delays are regrettable, we believe we now have a very good blueprint from which to work. We hope Second Stage of the legislation will be taken in the Dáil in the next two weeks.

The question of standards and the timeframe for them was raised. The final date is not set, but the regulatory impact analysis will be completed this month and the standards and regulations will be finalised afterwards. We expect this to happen in the next couple of weeks.

Senators Joe O'Toole, Mary White and Larry Butler raised the important question of the experience of people in long-term residential care, which is no doubt varied. However, I believe there has been a genuine effort by public and private nursing home service providers to offer stimulating programmes for older people in long-term residential care. Some of these programmes have worked very successfully. For example, the Sonas programme helps residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's disease and has been of benefit to those who availed of it. I compliment county libraries throughout the country and I am especially mindful of Tipperary County Library which has opened up its doors as a long-term residential care setting for both private and public residential care. The library now visits residential care centres and people have access to books, can share and discuss them and promote the best books to read. Such experiences bring the outside world in and stimulates the mind which is important, especially as we get older.

Senators Frances Fitzgerald and Phil Prendergast mentioned the conditional registration of nursing homes under the standards scheme. HIQA will carry out the registration of nursing homes. It may grant conditional registration to allow a nursing home time to meet the appropriate standards. While one may set out with the best of intentions one must be realistic and give an opportunity to nursing homes to comply. A realistic and achievable timeframe must be put in place in this regard. This is why conditions will be laid down which will contain a timeframe in order that the nursing home must comply in time. During that period HIQA will carry out additional inspections and visits to monitor the progress in meeting these standards. Full registration will be granted to a nursing home at the end of that period only if HIQA is satisfied that the nursing home meets the standards. Senator McFadden asked a question about the cost of these standards. The cost benefit analysis is being carried out by independent consultants and will provide the relevant information and it will be part of the regulatory analysis. Work is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of this month and will then be published.

There was a question about those currently in nursing homes. Such people may wish to continue with existing arrangements and avail of the subvention. Subventions will continue to be available to those in nursing homes. However, when the Bill is passed, which we envisage by the middle of 2009, there will be a new scheme in operation. The subvention will not be increased once this scheme is introduced, but it will remain for those who wish to continue to avail of it. I emphasize this scheme is voluntary. People may choose to partake in it or opt to pay for their own care and not to be part of the scheme.

Senator Liam Twomey mentioned the report by the Garda on the Leas Cross nursing home and I do not have the answer to his question, but I will ensure he gets a response.