Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Dia is Muire daoibh go léir. Tá an-áthas orm a bheith anseo. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the measures the Department of Health is taking to ensure older people in Ireland benefit from advances in modifying therapies and research around brain health and dementia. I specifically welcome our visitors in the Gallery. They are currently taking part in an Erasmus project on dementia rights. We have representatives from Portugal, Spain, Greece and Turkey, in addition to St. Joseph's in Shankill, who are leading the way in the provision of dementia supports in Ireland. They are all very welcome. I also welcome my colleague, Deputy Cormac Devlin, who is present.

I acknowledge at the outset the hard work that my other colleague, Senator O'Loughlin, is doing as chair of the all-party committee on dementia. I previously co-chaired that committee with former Senator Colette Kelleher. A lot of good work has been done. I thank Senator O'Loughlin and all the people who engage on that committee. Politics are left at the door and the only provision is to try to enhance the supports we have for people living with dementia in this country. I thank the committee very much for that.

I have long been an advocate for the development of dementia services and supports. Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for this area, unprecedented levels of investment have been ring-fenced specifically for dementia services and supports in this country. Sláintecare reform is transforming how we deliver healthcare in Ireland. It places people and their families at the centre of the health system. Through the development of new models of care it will support older people, including those with dementia, to stay healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible. To support this reform, the National Dementia Office has been developing a model of care, which works towards the vision of the national dementia strategy 2014, of timely diagnosis for dementia and integrated post-diagnostic support, including for family carers. With the prevalence of dementia expected to rise by 134% by 2045, it is essential we have these services in place. The model of care will look at the needs of the person with dementia, with a strong focus on brain health interventions that can benefit the whole population.

Disease-modifying therapy is a major goal for research around dementia. Of the 126 agents currently under trial for Alzheimer's disease worldwide, about 83% are disease-modifying therapies. The potential future impact of modifying therapies is very hopeful. These treatments may allow us to treat, slow or prevent a disease that can be devastating for the people diagnosed and their families. There is great optimism that these therapies will become available in the coming years. Our health services will need to be ready for the potential future of these modifying therapies for dementia along with the projected increase in people living with dementia. It is anticipated that the introduction of these therapies would result in increased referrals of people with cognitive difficulties to our services. This will require future development of our diagnostic services, which will include neuroimaging and specialist testing.

I was delighted to secure additional funding in 2021 and 2022 to develop a number of specialist diagnostic services throughout the country. Of note, funding allocated across 2021 and 2022 will allow for the development of two specialist regional memory clinics in Cork and Galway and nine new memory assessment and support services. Establishing these essential services will ensure that there is timely access to care and a reduction in waiting times. Early diagnosis will be key in the treatment of dementia, with advances in modifying therapies and brain health interventions key tools to slow progression of the illness and maintain a person's quality of life.

In June 2021, the National Dementia Office established an expert national working group consisting of two sub-groups: a diagnostic imaging sub-group and a disease-modifying treatments sub-group. This group will consider the most likely near future disease-modifying therapies, additional neuroimaging requirements, such as MRIs, and other additional resources for implementing disease-modifying treatments. When the moment comes that disease-modifying therapies are available to limit the impact of dementia, our healthcare services will be prepared.

Recent areas of additional investment have also focused on brain health and reducing the risk of dementia. It is estimated that up to 40% of dementia worldwide is preventable. Recent funding has supported the dementia Understand Together campaign to improve public awareness and understanding of dementia, including how to reduce risk factors. In 2022, additional funding will allow for the recruitment of a brain health project manager to support a dementia risk-reduction working group and collaborate with clinical programmes to promote brain health. We should be encouraging the whole population to actively prioritise their own brain health. A campaign on dementia and brain health will be run as part of brain awareness week from 14 to 20 March by the national risk-reduction working group to include key messages around brain health for the public through social media, press releases and newspapers. National campaigns, such as Quit Smoking, Ask About Alcohol and healthy eating and active living campaigns, all help to address risk factors associated with dementia.

Once people have received a diagnosis of dementia, additional supports are in place to support people with dementia to live well for as long as possible. A key focal point of the post-diagnostic pathway is the dementia advisor service. I was delighted to launch the expansion of the service in November 2021. An additional 11 dementia advisors allowed this vital service to be expanded nationally. I was delighted to build on the work of my predecessor, former Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jim Daly. We had many conversations about increasing the number of dementia advisors and we now have 28 throughout the country, which is fantastic.

Funding in 2021 also allowed for an enhancement of memory technology resource rooms. These services provide practical ways of managing the challenges of dementia and improving independence, safety and quality of life through various assistive technologies and occupational therapy guidance. I was delighted to travel to Tralee before Christmas to open the 30th memory technology resource room in Tralee, which was purpose-built. We have come such a long way in the past four or five years. To now have 30 memory technology rooms throughout the country is amazing. I thank everyone who worked on that because it was a collaborative effort, which is fantastic to see. In addition, the proportion of new home support hours that will be ring-fenced for people with dementia will more than double in 2022 to 11%. This will provide support for family carers of loved ones living with dementia and enable people living with dementia to remain living in their own homes.

To improve the outcomes for people living with dementia in acute care settings, I was pleased to secure additional funding through budget 2022 for the provision of a dementia assistant director of nursing post in each hospital group and four additional dementia clinical nurse specialist posts. Funding in 2021 also allowed for the implementation of the national clinical guidelines on appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medication for non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia.

I will address more of the points when I reply to the debate later.