Minister Lynch must give reassurance

Older & Bolder today called on Kathleen Lynch TD, the Minister with responsibility for older people to reassure people following suggestions from the IMF that vital supports for pensioners should be cut.

“Older people are now living under the threat of cuts to vital benefits like free travel, medical cards and the State Pension after the International Monetary Fund identified   such measures,” Patricia Conboy, director of Older & Bolder said today.

“But the human cost of a short-term cost-cutting exercise of this kind would be enormous for older people and society.  What we need is a planned approach to populating ageing, not a slash and burn cutting of benefits that will end up costing more in the long run due to increased rates of poverty and illness among older people.  

“This is the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.  It is the ideal year for the Minister for Older People to publish the National Positive Ageing Strategy which has been promised in the 2007 and 2011 Programmes for Government.

“The publication of a National Positive Ageing Strategy would demonstrate that the Government have a plan for providing for all our citizens as they age in Ireland. “

Ms Conboy said, that in a single afternoon at the Over-50’s Show in Cork this weekend, more than 200 older people signed a letter to Minister Lynch asking her to publish the National Positive Ageing Strategy.   If she were to do so, it would offer a measure of re-assurance to older people.