Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What we see and have seen in this debate is just how much dementia and Alzheimer's disease affects every family and household in this country.I, for one, do not have a difficulty with talking about it. Every family, including my own, has suffered from it to one degree or another. We all have personal contact with people who ring us to tell us about the problems they are having getting home help, respite or whatever it is, and those stories make politics. They are the reason that most of us are here and the things that occupy our daily lives.

I am privileged to have the Alzheimer Society of Ireland near where I live in Blackrock, the area I represent. I have worked with it for a number of years. I have nothing but the height of respect for the work it does, not just in terms of providing logistical support to people. The advice, counsel and help it gives people who ring up with problems is enormous, in addition to the day care centres and all the rest.

As we have heard from Senator Doherty, so often, that responsibility for care for somebody in a family falls on another family member, often another elderly family member. That can never be described as a burden in many respects because they are our loved ones. Of course, the family member does it and would not have anyone else do it, which is why he or she ends up doing it. However, it is a strain and an extra responsibility. Many of these people are at a time in their lives when they should not have to be taking on such significant new responsibilities.

I first want to acknowledge the work that has been done by the Minister of State and the commitments she has shown and the work the State has done to help people. However, it is still not enough. There is an extent to which it will never be enough but we must still do more. So many families throughout Ireland care for an elderly relative, parent, spouse or a brother or sister and do not have the capacity to do it in real terms. They are forced into a situation in which they have to take on a responsibility for which they are very often ill equipped.

I ask that we put in place greater measures to provide home help and respite for those people and that we recognise that the provision of home help is not necessarily altruistic. It is not a gift from the State to an individual. It saves the State money. If those people go into full-time care in a professional context, in a nursing home or whatever it is, that ultimately subtracts from the State's capacity to do that for other people.

To the greatest extent possible, we should facilitate people who care for relatives and facilitate people who want to continue to live at home. It is absolutely worth investing the money - because that is really all we are talking about - and human resources into that to ensure people can do that. It is the least they deserve. So many of these people have contributed for a whole lifetime to this country and it is absolutely right and appropriate that we should do everything we can to look after them if and when they are afflicted by something such as dementia or Alzheimer's.