Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Earlier this morning, like other Members, I attended a briefing organised by the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. It was a pre-budget submission about dementia support across the country and the headline, as far as the society was concerned, was that it is still asking, still waiting and still struggling. We often attend submissions and briefings organised by different groups but this was a moving one. There were two speakers, the first of whom was Dr. Helen Rochford Brennan who is a sufferer and a carer for her husband in addition to being chairperson of the European working group of people with dementia and a member of the Irish dementia working group. She talked about the disease and how 50,000 people, of whom she is one, currently struggle with the disease in this country. She travels all across Europe promoting more supports for people who suffer from the disease. Across Europe, dementia is now called the cancer of the future. She said that people are struggling to cope with the disease and outlined that most people who suffer from the disease remain in their own homes. Additional supports are needed for those people.

The second speaker was Ms Teena Gates who described herself as a carer, an advocate, an author and a journalist. She described her determination to take her 94 year old father home and look after him. She had a home care package approved but, unfortunately, was told there was no money to implement the package. She then went on a campaign on social media and eventually, lo and behold, money was found for that care package.

She talked about the struggles that people have with the disease. Both speakers mentioned the fact that, last year, they were disappointed and heartbroken that dementia did not get a mention in the budget.

I am pleading with the Leader to bring the plight and concerns of these people to Government to ensure that some funding is put in place to alleviate the pain and suffering these people are experiencing, either themselves or through their loved ones, for whom they are caring. I support the call from Senator Humphreys for a debate on this subject in the autumn.