Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I thank all the Senators who contributed to a very useful debate. The reason I come to this House so often is that, although we may differ in our views, it is always an enjoyable experience because there is a more free-flowing discussion than one gets in the Lower House. One always has the sense that Members are engaged. Perhaps my visits here will become a burden at some point in the future, but they are certainly not so at this time.

I commend the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on this report, which will be one of the tools we take forward as we seek to provide for the needs of older people in a coherent way. This debate has reinforced my conviction that older people are like any other group of people. What we have as a diverse group of people when we are younger we carry into later life as we age. People have different concerns and different ways of living at all stages of their lives. We must bear in mind at all times in this discussion that only 4.4% of older people, or 22,000, are in full-time nursing care, with the remainder living in the communities where, in many cases, they were born and reared and where they married, worked and raised their families. We all know these people. They are part and parcel of what Ireland is and who we are. As we age, we all develop disabilities, some of them major but, if we are fortunate enough, less serious ones such as failing eyesight or deteriorating hearing. I am confident we can manage all of this very well.

What is most important is that there be a recognition of older people's contribution rather than a focus on notions of burden and so on. My mother lived to 84 years of age and was ill for only one week - the week before she died - her whole life. Whenever I had a problem or required any particular advice - as the youngest of 11 children, I needed it more than most - I went to her. She either told me not to be silly and stop worrying or she advised me to do X, Y or Z. Older people have a wealth of experience to contribute and I hope each one of us will be able to make that contribution.

Senator Katherine Zappone and others asked when the positive ageing strategy will be published. It would have been done by now but for the Taoiseach's request that I concentrate in the first instance on the carer's strategy. Mine is like any other job. When the boss asks one to do something, one must do it. The plan for carers is now completed and we hope to publish it during the summer. There is a huge amount of work already done in regard to the positive ageing strategy. When the carer's strategy is brought to Cabinet, the departmental officials, who have not, by the way, been simply shuffling the national ageing plan around, will then do the concentration piece in terms of pulling together the type of consultation that is necessary. We are convinced we will be in a position to publish it in October. I am anxious that it be published in 2012, given the year that is in it, but I do not want it to run into the end of November and coming into the Christmas period, which might suggest it had been rushed. That would not be accurate and would not do it justice. Our intention, therefore, is to publish early in the last quarter.

In regard to community-based services, I agree we must begin relocating resources into the community. The advertisements in respect of the review of the fair deal scheme will be in the newspapers tomorrow. A sizeable sum of money is involved and we are considering whether we will extend it to community care. For example, rather than a person having to apply for the fair deal scheme and going into a particular long-stay facility, as good as such facilities are, perhaps that funding could be diverted so that the service is delivered in the person's home or community. We are working closely with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in this regard. Not everybody will be able to spend all of their old age in their own home, but the majority should be able to do so within their community by way of the type of assisted living and decision-making processes we intend to put in place. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and I are working on that.

The age-friendly cities, counties, towns and communities initiative offers us a great deal. It is not a money issue but rather a question of planning and taking into consideration the needs of elderly people when deciding where a bus stop should be located, for example. It is about consultation and putting together a forum to listen to what people think about their own place. That is how it comes about.

In regard to the treaty, there will be an opportunity next year when we hold the Presidency but I cannot give any commitments on that. It will be a Government decision but it is not something to which I would be opposed. What is important is the fact we have a President who talks in glowing terms about the contribution people in later life have made to the arts, society and so on. That is something we need to start to beef up and talk about. In that context, maybe we could push the agenda out a little bit.

In regard to legislation on home care, I do not know anyone who could argue about the priorities set in terms of standards, which are children, children in foster care, people with disabilities in residential care and the home care service which will be inspected by HIQA. The children part is being worked on very actively. In regard to the disability issue, we hope to have HIQA roll out those standards by the middle of next year. The home care part should not be too long after that. I worry sometimes that people only hear half the message. It will not be about HIQA going into people's homes but about HIQA talking to the service provider. It will be about language, qualifications, attitudes and so on, which Senator Norris spoke about and which are important.

We have a new helpline for people who feel they are being abused, and it is working extremely well. Those types of safeguards are very important. However, we need to look at other areas. Last week I had personal experience of someone in later life who got notification for a doctor's appointment six months ago and who would have completely forgotten about it but for the fact we put the date in our mobile telephones. The statistics show that 25% of people do not turn up for their appointments. Look at the resources being wasted. A whole team is waiting for this person to turn up. Surely we can use technology. If the older person is not into text messaging and so on - God knows I have difficulty reading them sometimes - he or she should nominate someone who is prepared to take on that function, who will receive the text saying that the doctor's appointment is the next day, and who will say it is important he or she shows up. Let us see where that goes.

Yesterday, UCD published a report on mental health. Five years ago, they asked for a large mix of people to volunteer and then they advertised for people who had a persistent and enduring mental health difficulty to get involved in the programme. Over a five year period, they matched people up and now they have become friends and go to the cinema and go for a cup of coffee. They do the type of things fully functioning people, if that is what one wants to call them, do not like to do on their own. What makes us think older people or people with mental health issues want to do things on their own? That costs nothing. It is about that sort of mix of research and the effect it had on that group of people. I see that being translated to older people as it was such a good and well-developed piece of research.

We will have to take a serious look at the mental capacity legislation or the assisted decision-making capacity legislation. We took a serious look at the legal capacity issue and title. According to the Attorney General's office, we all have legal capacity. It is an entirely different process. Therefore, we had to look at something else. I would not be opposed to the legislation nor to taking a serious look at the treaty. It will be about bringing other people along with us. There are people who advocate in that space who would be as powerful as any politician. Most of the big changes which happen in society come from outside. One is lucky if one has someone on the inside who agrees with one and includes it in the legislation.

I thank the House for the opportunity to speak. Its report will form part of how we go forward.