Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I also welcome some of the stakeholders in this report who are in the Visitors Gallery. I thank them for engaging in this new process for the Seanad and the Oireachtas making this a public consultation in the true sense of the word. These stakeholders experience the difficulties and challenges faced by those involved in care of the elderly. There is an opportunity to make older people's lives better. This report is a reflection of their aspirations and it is a healthy exercise. The Seanad has already embarked on other reports in other areas.

Some of the report's recommendations are practical and aspirational. I commend the Minister of State's comprehensive and realistic response to the report. The positive ageing report will be published later this year and I am glad this Seanad report will feed into it. Ireland has played a very important role in fulfilling UN obligations. While it may be aspirational to seek a UN convention on the rights of older people, at least we have called for it. Ireland will hold the EU Presidency next year which will give us a platform to advance that call. The reality is the world population is ageing and the UN will have to face up to the need for a charter of rights for older people. On the point about habitual residence, the Minister stated each case is dealt with on an individual basis.

The report took a holistic approach to the issue and examined the practical, as well as aspirational aspects of care for older people and what people wanted in this area in the future. When people get older, they naturally develop disabilities or impaired mental capacity. The Minister of State has spoken about being careful in the use of language. She is very much in tune with the importance of the use of language, and I welcome that. I know the heads of that Bill have been discussed at the Oireachtas joint committee dealing with justice matters. We are heading in the right direction and we will see significant movement.

The Minister of State has given an initial response and I hope that later in the year, when we consider the positive ageing report that is to be published, we can have a more detailed and advanced response. Perhaps the Minister of State will take time from her busy schedule to come back to the House for a more in-depth discussion. If it is relevant to other Ministers, we could develop an ongoing process.