Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this important issue. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to the House. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, has responsibility for this issue, so I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, will be able to pass this on. Dementia is an issue that affects people in every community in Ireland. There are an estimated 55,000 people with dementia in Ireland. The number is set to double by 2036. People with dementia need a wide range of community services and support to assist them from the moment of diagnosis and we are all aware of significant gaps that exist in these vital services.

In December 2014, the Government published Ireland's first national dementia strategy. The strategy was welcome and has the potential to improve the lives of people living with dementia in Ireland. The mid-term review of the implementation of the national dementia strategy has now been published. The review acknowledges that the strategy was initially intended to be cost neutral. Since publication of the strategy in 2014, the understanding of the scale of need and how that need should be met has deepened considerably. There is now an acknowledgment that the strategies to meet the needs of people with dementia will rightly call on the public purse.

The mid-term review acknowledges that the pace of implementation can be frustrating but I would say it is traumatic for people living with dementia, their families and service providers as they are still dealing with inadequate services and are waiting for supports. It also states that additional funding or redeployment of existing resources will be required to move from this preparatory implementation phase into the establishment of new dementia services, supports and structures. Specifically, the review notes that considerable resources, both financial and staffing, will be required in the following areas: post diagnostic and diagnostic support pathways; key posts in which I would include dementia advisers to close the gaps identified in the recently published mapping project; appropriate home care for the growing population, even though we are at capacity for home care at present; an appropriate care pathway for people in acute hospitals because people go to hospital with dementia and come out considerably worse; and the provision of immediate options for care other than nursing home care. There is a need for a dedicated budget.

The first strategy was co-financed between Atlantic Philanthropies, which donated €12.5 million, and the Department of Health. At the same time it should be noted that the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland contributed €14 million, which was more than the sum contributed by the Atlantic Philanthropies and almost as much as the Government.This funding now comes to an end in 2018. Multi-annual funding is critically needed beyond 2018 because we know that dementia is not going away. In fact, it is going to increase. We cannot rely on shaking buckets and the goodwill of people to finance core services. As a co-convenor of the all-party Oireachtas group, along with Deputy Mary Butler, I am acutely aware of the lack of equity in the provision of dementia services. To mention one service as an example, counties Wexford, Laois and Leitrim do not have any day care services. People in just 13 counties have access to dementia advisers. The provision of dementia-specific services is patchy and based on a geographic lottery. There is no link between the needs of people with dementia and what is available to them.

Today is the first day of carer's week. We often break the health of elderly people by requiring them to provide care to people with dementia, which is an unacceptable burden. In our budget 2018 proposals, we advised the Government to provide funding for 30 dementia advisers and to increase this number to 90 over time. The all-party Oireachtas group also identified gaps in intensive home care for people who wish to stay at home in their communities. We also advised on supports for people with Down's syndrome, who are much more likely than the general population to develop dementia. These needs were not addressed in the last budget. We were not listened to.

I am asking the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to give a commitment that he will listen to these proposals, which are quite modest relative to the scale of need. They should be included and prioritised in budget 2019. I welcome the work of the HSE's National Dementia Office, which needs resources so it can do its work. The strategy needs to be resourced properly. We need to plug the gap in dementia services so that we do not place unacceptable burdens on carers. Therefore, I call on the Minister of State to ensure the findings of the mid-term review are acted on. He should set out specific actions and the timeframe within which those actions will be taken. The needs, gaps and solutions of people with dementia and their carers have been identified and well documented.