Ageism-Free Election

The Older & Bolder alliance has called for the Irish Presidential Election campaign to be free of ageism: that is discrimination against people on the basis of their age.
 
The alliance has said that the key factors to be considered in assessing candidates’ suitability for the Presidency should be their character, track record, judgement and vision for the role of President. 
 
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said that, “The date on a birth certificate is a factor outside the control of any candidate. Factors such as character, track record, judgement and vision are the factors that are within the control of candidates and, as such, provide a fair basis on which to assess their suitability as a future Head of State for Ireland.”
 
Ms. Conboy said that it would have been entirely unacceptable to identify gender as a reason why Ms. Christine Lagarde should not become Managing Director of the IMF. She said that it would also be unthinkable to judge Herr Wolfgang Schauble unfit for his role as German Minister for Finance because he is a wheelchair user. Similarly presidential candidates should be considered as individuals and on their merits, not on the basis of their age and appearance.
The age barrier of 35 years for nomination as a presidential candidate is also discriminatory, Ms. Conboy said, and should be abolished in the context of a review of the nomination process for presidential candidates.

“Discrimination against people on the basis of gender and disability is being relegated to the past and we need to do the same with ageism,” Patricia Conboy concluded.