377. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health her plans to improve care for those diagnosed with dementia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53774/26]

The 2025 Programme for Government contains specific commitments on dementia. It commits to increasing the availability of dementia diagnostic services, home support, day care, day care at home, dementia adviser services, residential care and supports for people with young onset dementia. It also commits to developing an Irish Dementia Registry.

I announced the commencement of the Irish Dementia Registry in May 2025. The Registry aims to improve dementia care quality, inform service planning and policy development, and support research for people living with dementia in Ireland. For the first time, Ireland will have a dedicated system to collect reliable, consistent data on dementia, including data on assessment and diagnosis, what supports people receive, and what outcomes they experience. The Registry is on track to be rolled out in 2028.

The HSE Dementia Model of Care recommends the establishment of a national network of Memory Assessment and Support Services, Regional Specialist Memory Clinics and a National Intellectual Disability Memory Service. It also sets targets for assessment, diagnosis and review within these services. Three Memory Assessment and Support Services are operational in Cavan/Monaghan, Mayo and Sligo, and the HSE in its 2026 National Service Plan commits to opening a further seven services in Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Mullingar, Waterford and Wexford. The National Service Plan also commits to opening a fifth Regional Specialist Memory Clinic in North Dublin in 2026, which will complement the four Regional Specialist Memory Clinics already in place in Cork, Galway and Dublin (St James' Hospital and Tallaght Hospital).

The HSE's 2026 National Service Plan further commits to allocating a minimum of 22% of new home support hours to people with dementia or a cognitive impairment, up from 20% in 2025, and 18% in 2024.

The Government and the HSE are working in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) to increase the availability of dementia day care services, day care home, dementia advisers and supports for people with young onset dementia. Across 2025 and 2026, Government funding for the Alzheimer Society has enabled the opening of 8 new dementia day care services, the provision of day care at home to an additional 150+ clients and the recruitment of 7 new dementia advisers, bringing the total number of advisers nationally to 37. In 2025, the ASI was also provided with recurring funding for young onset dementia activity clubs, with 28 clubs operating in March 2026.

The Programme for Government commits to building more public nursing home beds and to including dementia-specific provision in all new Community Nursing Units. I am working to progress this commitment so that there is an adequate supply of public nursing home beds to meet the needs of our growing older population and the rising number of people with dementia.

The Government will continue to work to implement the Programme for Government commitments so that people with dementia, together with their families, have the supports they need to live as well and independently as possible in their own homes for as long as possible, and have access to high-quality residential care when needed.