Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I apologise to the Minister of State because I did not realise this matter would be taken so soon after I raised another issue with her last Thursday. On this occasion, I am seeking clarification with regard to changes that are being made in the area of elderly care. I have raised this subject with the Minister of State previously. It is back on the table now. I am proposing the establishment of a task force that would involve all the parties involved in this sector in a consultation process. It would not be a statutory committee or anything else. I should declare an interest by mentioning that Nursing Homes Ireland, which has raised this issue with me, was the body that nominated me to run for the Seanad on the industrial and commercial panel. While the members of the association are very appreciative of the fact the Minister of State has met them regularly, they feel there is a gap in this regard. This issue has been raised with me by a number of other organisations as well. The association has suggested that a task force could be established to meet, perhaps every six months at the initial stage, and go through the issue of the long-term planning of elderly care. I am not talking about elderly care in nursing homes. I am talking about home care packages and all the support services that will be needed by a growing number of people as time goes by. We need to work in conjunction with all the other players in this area to develop the services that give people support. That is why I requested this Adjournment debate.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I do not think this debate on how we should plan for the future has come too soon after our last debate.

The population of Ireland, like that of many other countries in Europe, is ageing rapidly. It is estimated that the number of people over the age of 65 will increase by nearly 220,000 over the next decade. This means that by 2024, there will be approximately 800,000 people over the age of 65. It is estimated that the number of people in the oldest cohort, those over the age of 80, will increase even more significantly, by approximately 42%, or 60,000, during the same period. These changes will have significant social and economic implications at individual, family and societal levels. The challenges arising from the ageing of our population can be met if we plan effectively to ensure the necessary adjustments are made over time to services, mindsets and the structure of our society as a whole. We have done a lot of work in this respect to prepare for the future. We have published the carers strategy and the national positive ageing strategy. The national dementia strategy is at an advanced stage of preparation. These strategies have been informed by extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the bodies mentioned by the Senator. The positive ageing strategy contains a large number of action areas relating to older people's participation in society, health and social care provision, financial and physical security and the need for an evidence-based approach to making policy. Preparations are in train for the implementation of the strategy.

Of course there are some areas in which more work is needed to decide how best we can meet the real challenges that face us. As we address these areas, we will be happy to hear the views of all concerned. The views that are expressed and the proposals that are made will be carefully considered on their own merits. As always, our priority will be to ensure the best outcomes for older people and taxpayers. We are pursuing an ambitious programme of reform for our health sector, for example, by developing and reforming how we provide social care and care for older people. The priority for 2014 is the development of an integrated model of care, with a strong emphasis on home care and community care. It is in that context that, at a policy level, we are looking at how well our current model of provision meets the needs and wishes of older people. Accordingly, the review of the nursing home support scheme, which was the subject of an extensive and structured public consultation process, will consider how we balance residential care with care in the community and whether this needs to be adjusted to better reflect what older people want and to deliver better outcomes for all. The review will be published in the coming months.

I assure the Senator that planning for future services will continue. It will be fully informed by the views and concerns of all stakeholders. All positions will be considered in a balanced and objective way to achieve the optimal outcome. I recently met representatives of Nursing Homes Ireland. It was a successful, open and frank meeting. Everyone agreed that there will be a deficit in the number of beds that will be necessary in the future. We discussed the type of community-based care structure that will need to be in place. We agreed at the meeting to develop an overarching plan to cater for the needs of the population as we age. This will involve elements of the various strategies we have already developed. It was also agreed that all the stakeholders - nursing home providers and other public and private service providers in community and long-stay care - will talk to one another with everyone's views being taken on board. This is a very positive development. It is within that type of planning that we will be able to consider what type of interaction will be necessary into the future. I hope my comments have been of some help to the Senator. I thank him again for raising the issue.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. I was particularly pleased to hear her closing remarks. Everyone agrees that the only way forward is to work together. All the people involved in this area want to work together and with the Department and the HSE to make sure plans are drawn up properly and carefully to ensure the best possible services are available for everyone who needs them. I thank the Minister of State again for her response.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I should have added a caveat to what I said about the recent meeting. It was agreed at the meeting that the policy element of all of this has to remain within the Government. Of course, Governments always take on board the views of others when developing policy. I thank the Senator.