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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Dementia challenge

Summary

Senator Kelleher highlighted the scale of dementia in Ireland and the shortcomings in current supports. She described the new all-party Oireachtas group and awareness campaign, prompting some procedural exchanges from the Chair and Senator Norris.

Dementia is one of the great global challenges of our time. In Ireland, 55,000 people have dementia. Most of us will know somebody with dementia or somebody who is caring for a person with dementia. It will have touched our families. By 2026, at the end of the much-anticipated future health care strategy, the number of people with dementia in Ireland will be 80,000.

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Are you finished? Thank you.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

Senator Colette Kelleher has the floor.

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There was a lot of muttering going on.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I did not mutter.

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I was not saying the Senator was muttering.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I did not hear it either.

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As we all know, the services and supports for people with dementia are patchy and fall short of what people need. That is why we need political courage, imagination and resources to respond to the dementia challenge. That is why, with Deputy Mary Butler, I have convened an all-party Oireachtas group on dementia so Ireland, like similar sized countries such as Scotland and Denmark, can be a great place to live well with dementia. We all need to know about dementia and work on the dementia challenge. That is why the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, as part of a national awareness campaign, has convened dementia awareness training tomorrow. I ask the Leader and all Members to attend the dementia awareness training in the audio-visual room at 11 a.m. tomorrow for 45 minutes.

Although common in other parliaments this is the first of its kind in our Parliament. It would be wonderful to see as many Members as possible at it. It is an act of solidarity with people with dementia so they know they are not alone, that people are listening to them and are aware of their challenges. It would be a great boost. Helen Rochford Brennan will speak at it. She appeared on the "Late Late Show" last Friday night. She is a very persuasive woman and she spoke about her dementia. I invite Members to come and to bring a colleague. It is 45 minutes out of their busy day, but an important 45 minutes. It will be great to see everybody. We will take names and we will come back for those who do not make it tomorrow, because there will be other opportunities.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

We do not necessarily allow Senators to advertise on the Order of Business, but not to worry.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

I allowed the Senator latitude.

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