Paraic Brady (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here today. As some of my colleagues said, he has delivered in some of his past roles. I thank him for all his work in the past and for engaging with elected representatives across Ireland.We welcome the increase for meals on wheels in the programme for Government. After the last storm and what we have seen, it is incumbent on us to make sure meals on wheels services have heater boxes and facilities where they can deliver hot meals to our elderly. That must be throughout Ireland. The hot meal boxes are available in some counties and not in others. These are a necessity for meals on wheels. We must invest in hot meal boxes.

As we know, our population is living longer. I commend Senator Rabbitte on what she discussed regarding age-friendly activities. Men’s and women's sheds, senior citizen clubs and social clubs are the backbone of what makes our elderly tick. We need to fund these and give them the rights supports, and I do not mean small amounts of funding where they have to go to a local authority to look for €1,000 to bring senior citizens on bus trips and tours. I mean serious funding needs to be given to these groups so they can support communities.

I like the initiative somebody mentioned in regard to our students. Students are very important too. There could be an initiative where transition year students call into elderly people on a weekly basis as part of a health and well-being programme. That is something we should look in our schools. It would a good initiative.

I refer to a retirement village model to which elderly people could move. They could downsize and somebody on the social housing list might be able to move into their home. That could be looked at. They could access services in a retirement village and they would be close to a population centre, the shops, the church, the doctor and to those who call into them. If we are intent on looking after the elderly, it is incumbent on us to ensure all large planning applications include small retirement villages. If we are building 90 or 100 homes in a town, we must include ten affordable houses for our elderly.