Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion.

I am going to speak about dementia. It is an issue that impacts on very many people's lives, not only the lives of people living with dementia or Alzheimer's but on the lives of the loved ones who care for them on a daily basis. The World Health Organization has described dementia as one of the most serious social challenges facing the world today. Dementia is a life-changing condition both for the person and for their family. The Government must step up in terms of its services to ensure that every person living with dementia has the best possible quality of life and, above all, quality of care.There are 55,000 people in Ireland living with dementia and a further 165,000 directly affected by it. It is hard to believe 11 people are diagnosed with it every day. The figures are astounding. It is expected that one in three people aged over 65 years will develop dementia and that the number living with it will double in the next 20 years and treble in the next 35. It is estimated that there are 400,000 people aged under 65 years in Ireland living with young onset dementia and there are no services available. If a person is under 65 years and has dementia, there are no services available for him or her. My nephew has Down's syndrome. There are 700 people with Down's syndrome who have been diagnosed with dementia. It is early onset dementia which occurs in the 40s, which is really serious. Service provision really needs to be considered in that regard.

There are other major costs associated with dementia outside the economic and financial costs that often remain unrecognised. These hidden costs place considerable emotional and social strain on the individuals and family members who provide the main bulk of care. Many of these family carers are frail and elderly and struggle to find the information and service supports needed to enable them to continue with their day-to-day caring role. Some are younger adults with children and sometimes struggle. They may also have to give up their jobs. Issues arise in that regard in that there is a lack of information and entitlements. Carers are trying to keep their families at home and mind them. The scale of the problem is such that governments across the world are being forced to review their policies and reconfigure older people's services. European countries have well developed national dementia strategies aimed at providing a suite of services tailored to individual needs and designed to help members of the public with dementia. In recent days I read a document that I believe is so important. It states the majority of people with dementia, 63%, live in the community and use the services provided. It also states:

It is essential that people living with dementia remain connected with their local communities and that they have access to the right information at the right time. Do not underestimate the difference you can make if you have a basic understanding of dementia. People with dementia have told us that it is the attitude of those they meet in providing services which makes the biggest difference to their experience.

That is a fact of life. It is the understanding that matters.

Figures obtained from the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that at least 544 patients were waiting for appointments across all regions from December 2016 to January 2017. Seemingly, there are two clinics for which statistics could not be obtained. Some patients were waiting as long as 14 months to be seen at the memory clinic. As people are living longer, it is crucial that services be accessed as soon as possible, as timing is everything. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland has called on the Government and the HSE to adopt an all-Ireland approach to planning dementia services to ensure citizens are treated equally. That is crucial. It is not acceptable that there is no clear availability of the service. There is no service provision; rather, there is a lack of services and information. It all goes back to this the whole time.

Fianna Fáil wants to see a progressive increase in investment and also a national strategy for the long-term care of older people. This issue needs to be addressed, as people are living longer and the incidence of dementia seems to be growing rapidly. We need to ensure there will be investment and funding provided in order that anyone with dementia will receive full care.