Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Ivana Bacik's call for a debate on the ICT sector. When Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is in the House next week, it will be an ideal opportunity to raise the issue with her because, as the Commissioner responsible for innovation and research, she has a large budget from which Ireland could benefit if we were to take the right approach and have the right processes with which to leverage funding to assist the development and creation of jobs here.

May is European Month of the Brain, an initiative which aims to promote understanding of the human brain and the challenges in dealing with a complex disease such as Alzheimer's disease. There is a need for a dementia strategy. I ask the Leader to raise the issue with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and the Government to ascertain when we will see this strategy because approximately 42,000 people in Ireland are living with dementia. This has implications for their carers and the health system responsible for their care and support. The Central Statistics Office figures for the projected population of the country were published this week. The number of people over the age of 65 years is due to rise greatly. By 2026 there will be 850,000 people over that age. I am not saying they will all need such care, but it is projected that there will be a large increase in the number of people with dementia which is expected to reach about 140,000 by 2040, a significant increase. This day next week will be Alzheimer's Tea Day which I ask that we acknowledge. We also need to communicate with the Minister of State on when the dementia strategy will be brought forward because there is a need for certainty and a clear plan for individuals and their families facing that situation.