Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The reality is that many elderly people aged over 65 can no longer afford to live in their own homes. All of the housing aid for the elderly grants have been cut. The disabled person's grants have been cut or are not available. I can give the Minister of State the figures. They have been cut by up to 90% since the Government took office. I deal with these issues every week and see where the cuts have been made. Examples include the capacity to install simple things like a level-deck shower or a bedroom extension downstairs.

If we are serious about caring for elderly people, we must look at this holistically and examine independent living at home. If we are serious about that, funding must be made available. While funding may have been abused in years gone by, that is not to say those in need should be denied access to it. There is a massive problem and a lack of commitment to solving it. There is certainly a lack of commitment this year - on the Minister of State's watch - where the number of beds in our nursing homes has been cut by almost 800. That is regrettable. The health service must save money, but why cut the funding for those who need the care most and cannot provide for themselves?

I commend Senator MacSharry on rasing the issue. It may not be the sexy political issue of the day, but it is a vitally important one for every family and elderly person in the country. Whether a person is confined to a bed or is mobile, he or she should be allowed to live in dignity. The Government should have a planned strategy in place as we approach 2016. Given the 100 year commemoration we face, it would be disrespectful not to have that plan in place.