Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome his positive approach to this important aspect of Government policy. The Minister of State has set the bar very high. I wish him luck in achievement of the aspirations set out in the national dementia strategy and look forward to the successful conclusion of the deliberations that are under way in this regard and to our having an opportunity to discuss the proposals brought forward by the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch. I also welcome that a draft of the strategy will be brought to Government during the final quarter of 2012. I say this in the context of a rather interesting opinion that dementia services cost more than cancer, heart disease and stroke services combined. Despite this, as an illness it fails to attract commensurate political and budgetary attention. In that context, the aspirations as outlined by the Minister of State are to be welcomed.

As has been stated in the debate and will be stated again in future debates, there are few families that have not been touched by dementia and Alzheimer's disease. My late aunt suffered from dementia in her declining years. A close neighbour of mine was diagnosed with dementia at the early age of 57 years. He was a mathematics teacher and brilliant man who was active in his community. He died within years of his diagnosis. The point has been made that people with dementia, as opposed to people with Alzheimer's - I understand there is a medical distinction between the two - can go on to live long lives, which places a great deal of responsibility and burden on families, friends and neighbours. Sadly, there are also those like my neighbour who died not as a result of his condition but because of associated physical complications arising from his incapacity.

The other aspect of this debate, which I know the Minister of State would be in favour of, is that in whatever strategy is developed, where possible those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease stay in the home or in an environment to which family and friends have access. I know this would be a priority of the Government - and I do not mean this to sound cynical - because it would be cheaper and less of a burden on the Government if those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia are looked after by their family and friends rather than being institutionalised. This also has medical benefits. I hope the strategy will reflect this.

I am glad the Minister of State referred to the major costs outside of the economic and financial costs associated with dementia, as they often remain unrecognised. I am particularly pleased he paid tribute to family and carers as well as to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. It is rather interesting that the scale of dementia is such that governments throughout the world are being forced to review their policies and reconfigure services for older people, as the Government here is doing. It is a sad reality of life that the figures are increasing. I do not know whether this has to do with environmental reasons. I assume the Government provides funding in other areas of medical and scientific research, and I wonder whether it feels it has any role in advancing the research actively under way by pharmaceutical companies. I presume they are closely monitoring results in this regard; it would be helpful in the context of the work that will be done on the strategy by the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, which might focus on the medical advances under way. While they have not cracked it, and it seems to be a long way off, anybody who has more than a passing interest in this field will know there are regular updates on increasing discoveries about what causes Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

I wish to pay tribute to two people. The first is my friend and colleague, Senator Mary White, who prepared a policy paper for our party on active ageing and quality caring. She has been more than active in this regard, to the point that those of us in the party have had on occasion to restrain her in her enthusiasm for the subject. I admire her, and I am sure the House would agree, for focusing on an area that does not always get the attention it deserves. I do not mean to be at all political in this regard but I also pay tribute to the former Minister of State, Áine Brady, who from 2010 to the end of the Fianna Fáil-led Administration initiated a number of policies which have been continued and expanded by the Government. This reflects the all-party, non-political, non-partisan nature of this terrible medical condition. I congratulate the Labour Party for bringing this important motion to the House. We enthusiastically embrace all of its aspects.