Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleague Senator O’Loughlin, I would like refer to Adult Safeguarding Day, which takes place tomorrow, Friday, 19 November. This is Ireland’s first Adult Safeguarding Day and is an event to raise public awareness of a very sad activity. Safeguarding Ireland has come together in partnership with organisations across the sectors of health, justice and finance, as well as other sectors, to raise awareness of elder abuse, particularly in this country. Adult abuse happens when a person’s rights, independence or dignity are not respected. This can be a deliberate act on the part of the abuser or it can stem from a lack of knowledge on the abuser’s part. Last year, 10,000 cases of adult abuse were reported to the HSE. Other reports were made to other organisations, on which we have no data. Sadly, many cases are not reported at all. This abuse can happen at any stage but it is more likely to happen when an elderly person is living with a family due to age or physical or intellectual ability, or in situations of coercive control. It really is heartbreaking for an older person to find themselves in that situation. We can see the picture that when a person, due to health or some other frailty, is forced to live in a family situation, they feel a bit vulnerable. The message I would like to get out today is that help is out there. There are many helplines and I am sure that every older person knows someone they can trust. I encourage them to come forward and not to live through the nightmare that they may be experiencing. In order for us to do our bit in trying to create more awareness of the situation, I would welcome if the Leader could organise a debate on the issue of elder abuse at the earliest opportunity.