Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I find it hard to see Senator Wilson's eyes across the Chamber.

Today, I wish to speak about the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the national dementia strategy. This Government committed, when it took up office in 2011, to publish and carry out a national dementia strategy. A number of steps have taken place since then, including support from Atlantic Philanthropies Ireland in the form of funding, research into the strategy, a call for public submissions and the setting up of an expert working group. We are now at the stage where the strategy should be published. During the summer, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for this area, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, announced that Atlantic Philanthropies Ireland were providing €15 million and that the HSE would match this funding to prioritise the rolling out of the strategy which would include GP training, public awareness and intensive home care. As recently as 17 September, the Minister of State announced that the strategy publication date was imminent. I met representatives of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland this week and they are very concerned that the clock is still ticking and that the strategy has not been published.

In view of this I ask the Acting Leader to request the Minister of State to come into the House, preferably with the strategy published or to tell us when it is going to be published and also to outline to us how we are going to roll it out. Many strategies have been published and shelved. However, there is a commitment of €30 million for the strategy to be rolled out. We therefore need to have a discussion and a debate with the Minister of State on this matter. I welcome the opportunity today to call for that. Go raibh maith agat.