Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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324. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department holds up-to-date figures on the number of people living with dementia in each county; if so, to provide the most recent breakdown; and if not, to state whether a national dementia register exists or is planned, and the timeline for its establishment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66559/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The most recent published estimated dementia prevalence figures for 2020, including a breakdown by county and projected figures for 2045, were generated by Health Atlas, HSE based on Central Statistical Office Census data from 2016. Work is currently under way to update the estimates and future projections of the number of people with dementia in Ireland, including a breakdown by county.

The 2025 Programme for Government contains a commitment to "Work with the National Dementia Office and key stakeholders to develop a National Dementia Registry...". On 23 May, I was pleased to announce the commencement of this Irish Dementia Registry (IDR).

The IDR will be developed, implemented, and maintained, by the National Office for Clinical Audit. It will provide a comprehensive framework for the collection of reliable, accurate, valid and timely dementia data. This data will guide service planning and delivery, support research, inform policy development and align with the recommendations of the Model of Care for Dementia in Ireland (2023).

Significant progress in setting up the IDR has already been made including the recruitment of key posts (Clinical Lead, Project Manager, and Data Analyst) and, the establishment of an oversight group to support the advancement of key deliverables.

The development of the IDR is expected to take approximately three years, with full implementation scheduled for Q3 2028.