Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I, too, I agree with Senator Flynn in that anybody who can attend the debate next Tuesday to voice support should do so. It is what we should be doing here in Seanad Éireann. I look forward to the debate very much.

It would be a good idea to have, at some stage in the autumn, an extensive debate on dementia. Like some of my colleagues, I attended the briefing held across the road by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. We are dealing with a population that is increasingly elderly. People are living longer and, as such, more have dementia. The ask of the society is actually quite reasonable. It is asking for less than €20 million. This would make a huge difference in terms of home visits, providing support within the community, doing research and funding centres of excellence. The society does very good work. I speak to families regularly who engage with it and their feedback is extraordinary. What the society is asking for in the long term is extremely good value for money because it would keep people in their homes and communities for as long as possible. That is what we all strive for. This House could, in the autumn, have an extensive debate with the Minister of State in the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, on the issues of Alzheimer's disease and dementia and discuss implementing the commitments in the programme for Government.