Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today is the International Day of Older Persons. I would like to have a debate here about our mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters and ourselves, and talk about how our children will care for us in the future. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, said here yesterday:

While we currently enjoy favourable demographics over many other European partners, we will be facing pressures sooner rather than later. Relative to a decade ago, an extra 200,000 citizens will be over the age of 65 by 2021.

That is only five years away. He continued: "That will account for a quarter of our population by 2060." By 2050, one in five of us will be over 60. The Minister went on to say:

Pressures in all areas, such as health and State pension schemes alone are estimated to cost an initial €400 million per annum. This is simply the cost of standing still. Our commitment to our citizens in these areas requires that we consider these trends into the future and make plans accordingly.

The number of people over 60 will double between now and 2060. My mum and dad are still alive, I am glad to say, as is my mother-in-law. They are all over 90; my mother is 97 and on her way to being 100. We have a great time, but they need a lot of care. People are living longer. Soon we will have to raise the retirement age to 80, which sounds absolutely crazy. Jonathan Irwin, my husband, is 74, and he will not be able to stop earning money until he is 80. That is the way things will go.

To be more serious, I will return to 2013 and the respite grant. We had a debate about it here after the Government had cut the respite grant in the budget. The budget is approaching. Restore the respite care grant. The carers of Ireland are the underpaid people who get €208 a week to look after our older people. The 19% cut to the respite care grant, which was imposed by us in budget 2013, was deeply unfair and disproportionate to the cuts applied across the general social protection budget.Can we all please stand up and lobby for the carers?

A smaller issue, but just as important to older people, is the restoration of the household benefits package. The telephone allowance was abolished by the Government, which flies in the face of its policy on caring for people at home. Without a telephone line, the lives of older and sick people are being put at risk. They do not have any tele-care equipment, alarms or a direct link to their carers. Many older people are simply not up to date in terms of mobile phones and so forth.

I apologise that I will have to leave the Chamber early but the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland is launching its pre-budget submission on Dawson Street this morning. I ask anyone who has the time to come with me to that launch which is taking place in No. 19 Dawson Street. Alzheimer's is the most awful disease and we must talk about it. It is not dementia. A person with Alzheimer's will, in the end, forget to swallow. It is not about being forgetful but is the most aggressive, disproportionately tragic disease for entire families. I urge my colleagues to come to Dawson Street and join the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland which is working to make things better for citizens with Alzheimer's.