Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Kyne in acknowledging the special input of our good friend and colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, in terms of this motion. It is very well crafted. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House. I have known him for many years and I know he is a man of great personal compassion and that, hopefully, will transfer into his response to this motion in terms of follow-up actions.

In whatever fora or public assembly I have had the privilege of being a member of, I have always argued that in their old age or through levels of disability people generally want to remain in their own homes and their own communities. That is generally the case. I have always argued that because that is their wish, it should be adhered to. I have also argued on a more clinical level that it is a no-brainer - to use that awful populous term - in terms of expenditure because the cost of institutional care greatly exceeds the cost of supporting people at home. That is the bizarre part that is indefensible. For that reason, real action is needed in this area.

I have also argued down through the years in whatever assembly I had the privilege of being - this was more pertinent in the past, but sadly it might become pertinent again, even if only on a temporary basis - that the role of the carer of people in the home was a tremendous asset to reducing unemployment. There are a number of people who would love to leave particular jobs to care for loved ones if they had the support, financially and otherwise, to do it.It was a real cure for unemployment as well.

In terms of actions, although carer's rates are attractive, they need to go up year on year. There needs to be a clear increase and a Government commitment to that increase year on year. Home care packages need much more investment and need to be readily available. As good as nursing home care is, it is ludicrous that home care is not put on a statutory footing. I know there is a commitment to do it but we need home care to be put on a statutory footing as of right so that somebody like Senator Kyne's uncle, about whom he spoke, would automatically qualify for a home care package if he was able to come home. Retirement villages and extra homes in estates for older people are also necessary. Fundamentally, we need a holistic recognition of the importance of carers and supports for them that will make it attractive and recognise the really important role they play.