Deirdre Clune
Ceist:372 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the provisions or proposals, if any, he will introduce to mark the UN year of the elderly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10169/99]
Written Answers. - UN Year of the Elderly.
The United Nations International Year of Older Persons 1999 is being managed in this country by a National Steering Committee based at 58 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2. I have provided funding for the organisation of the year and, in advertisements which appeared some weeks ago in the national daily newspapers, details were given of how interested groups could apply for financial support for local, regional and national projects. A calendar of events is available from the National Steering Committee.
In regard to health services for older people, the Government has provided additional on-going revenue funding of £25 million in 1999 across a range of services. The sum of £9.95 million was allocated for nursing home subventions to meet the increased demand for the service and the additional costs arising from increased dependency levels; £4.5 million for the home help service and £1 million for the support of carers. £800,000 is provided for the recruitment of additional paramedical and nursing staff to be assigned to the home care of older people; £1.45 million has been allocated for the development of new units and £3 million for the further development of specialist assessment units for older people; £3 million has been provided to increase significantly, the income guidelines for entitlement to medical cards for persons aged 70 and over; £300,000 has been allocated to allow four additional physicians in the medicine of older age to be recruited; £500,000 is being allocated to continuing the programme of developing consultant led psychiatry of old age services. This is, by far, the biggest amount of additional funding ever so provided in any one year.