Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing three minutes with Senator Brady.

I welcome the Minister of State. I did not have the chance to thank him for the work he did in Lough Funshinagh in Roscommon in his previous role, so I thank him for that. It is a privilege to speak to the Minister of State today on an issue that affects every family and community in Ireland, namely, the care and support of our older citizens. As a society, we have a duty to ensure older people can live with dignity, security and independence for as long as possible. We want to support them in saying their own homes and communities where they feel most comfortable and connected. That is why we must take meaningful action to enhance care services and ensure that every person receives the supports needed.

It is great to hear the motion is supported across the House today. We have highlighted some of the issues across the motion. These include its call to design a statutory home care system. One of the most important steps is the formal home care scheme to ensure people can remain in their homes for as long as possible. By providing structured and reliable home care, we can empower older people to maintain their independence while receiving the necessary support. A number of Senators mentioned increasing home care hours. There is the rolling-out of the care repair scheme nationally. Small home repairs and modifications can make a huge difference for older people living safely at home. Expanding that scheme nationally would provide practical support to thousands of households.

We want to increase the housing adaption grant. For many adapting a home to meet mobility and accessibility needs is essential. By increasing this grant, we can help more people modify their homes to improve safety and comfort. We want to expand the meals on wheels programme as nutritional and social interaction are critical for wellbeing. Enhancing community care programme will strengthen the delivery of healthcare services closer to home which will reduce pressure on hospitals and ensure better care in local settings.

We call for investment in day care centres and community healthcare networks as day centres provide vital social, recreational and care services, help to combat isolation and support mental and physical well-being. Strengthening our community healthcare networks will ensure better co-ordination of local health services.

Yesterday, we spoke about a senior alert scheme. The programme for Government talks about the carer’s allowance and reducing means testing for the carer’s allowance over the lifetime of this Government. I also want to highlight the ESB vulnerable customers list. Another thing that has not been mentioned is the Local Link services. They could be used and more focused on bringing those isolated and elderly people into the towns.

This is about more than just policies and funding. It is about people. Our parents, grandparents, neighbours and friends deserve a society that values and supports them at every stage of life. A society is judged by how it treats it most vulnerable. By expanding and improving these services, we can ensure that every older person in Ireland receives the care, dignity and respect they deserve.