Action

2006

In 2006 organisations working with older people came together under the name Older & Bolder to call for the development of a national strategy on ageing; it was clear that a planned approach to growing older in Ireland was needed. 

2007

When politicians went canvassing in the 2007 General Election they heard a clear message from older people all around Ireland that a National Positive Ageing Strategy was a priority. This action, coordinated by Older & Bolder, secured a commitment in the 2007 Programme for Government to develop such as strategy. 

2008

In 2008 Older & Bolder published a baseline position paper on how best to involve older people in the development of the strategy. Throughout 2008 and 2009 Older & Bolder met with hundreds of older people in venues around Ireland to discuss what a planned approach to population ageing would require. In December 2008 Older & Bolder held the conference ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’, which drew on local experience and international perspectives. The conference led to a strong call for the Minister for Older People to put older people at the centre of the process by conducting meaningful public consultations. 

2009

In 2009 the then Minister for Older People held 9 public consultations on the strategy with over 1,100 older people.

2010 

In 2010 190 written submissions were made by organisations and individuals on the strategy including a detailed submission by Older & Bolder. *****

2011

In early 2011 the new Government of Fine Gael and Labour committed to complete and publish the positive ageing strategy in their Programme for Government. 

In September 2011, 5 years on with little progress, Older & Bolder asked people all over Ireland to send decision makers bookmarks on the strategy. Encouragingly, politicians from all parties joined our photo call to renew support for the National Positive Ageing Strategy. 

2012

The Minister for Older People responded positively to Older & Bolder’s calls to publish the strategy within 2012.

2013

On the 24th March 2013, the day before our closing conference, Minister Lynch announced the publication of the National Positive Ageing Strategy. You can view the final strategy here. 

However, by the strategy’s own terms, much of the heavy lifting of turning positive aspirations into concrete actions will happen in the six months between March 2013 and October 2013; the timeframe given by the Minister for the creation of the high level implementation plan. 

• Older & Bolder’s advice to older people is to sustain pressure on Government and on their local public representatives for the urgent publication of this implementation plan.
• Beyond 2013, older people can help ensure that the National Positive Ageing Strategy acts as a catalyst for positive change. The strategy and its named concrete actions will be an important reference point, helping to gauge current and future Government’s implementation of the strategy and decision making in relation to ageing issues.