I want to raise an issue that is a real worry for people, not just in County Clare but across the country. I hear every day from older people and their families who are struggling to get home care or a place in a nursing home. Clare has the longest home-support waiting list per person in the country. Even though the Government is spending more on home support nationally, Clare is not getting its fair share. This needs to be fixed so waiting times can be brought down quickly. Because of this, more people are going into nursing homes, unfortunately, but nursing homes in the county are also under severe pressure. Private and voluntary homes, which provide most of the beds in rural counties like Clare, face real financial problems. The fair deal rate does not match the rising cost of care, unfortunately, and smaller rural homes are struggling the most. People in Clare are stuck with a problem. There are not enough carers to let them stay at home and there are unfortunately not enough nursing home beds available for those people to go into. Families are under huge pressure. People in Clare want to grow old at home where possible and have dignified care in a nursing home when the time comes. The Government has the power and the vision to make that happen. I ask that Clare be not left behind. Will the Taoiseach commit to a plan to increase home support in counties like Clare where waiting lists are the longest and putting serious pressure on families? Will he commit to providing support for existing rural nursing homes so they can cope with the rising demand and encourage new entrants into the market to ensure there are enough beds into the future?

Sentiment score: 0.08

I thank the Taoiseach. Clare is a county with one of the fastest growing older populations and avoiding serious challenges for those elderly people is very important. Its rural nature and the remoteness of many of its areas are especially challenging to provide home help to older people, given the travelling distance. In addition, support for more home help and nursing homes in Clare would help in a big way to alleviate the overcrowding in UHL. I am aware of families who have been told patients in the hospital could have to travel, 30, 40 or 50 miles to get a nursing home bed, which is not good enough for those families and those people. It is a serious concern and a serious issue in our county and it needs to be addressed. We have a rural county and we have serious problems as regards the elderly, nursing homes and home help.

Sentiment score: 0.18