Older & Bolder launches 'On the Doorstep' campaign to ensure that needs of vulnerable older people are protected [15/04/09]

Campaign also to highlight concern at Government's 'extreme slowness' in delivering on promised National Positive Ageing Strategy

Older and Bolder has today (Wednesday, 15 April) launched its nationwide 'on the doorstep' campaign to ensure that the needs of vulnerable older people are protected. The campaign is in response to recent comments by the Minister for Finance and other ministers that welfare supports for older people and other vulnerable groups in society may be cut in the Budget at the end of the year and the Government's extreme slowness in delivering on its promise to develop and implement a National Positive Ageing Strategy.

Older and Bolder's campaign will involve a nationwide roadshow of public meetings over the coming weeks, an intensive media campaign and the distribution of thousands of canvass cards to older people so that they can raise issues with candidates and canvassers on the doorsteps.

Speaking at the campaign launch in Dublin's Alexander Hotel, Older and Bolder's Project Director, Patricia Conboy said that the alliance's eight member organisations acknowledge the gravity of the problems that are now facing Ireland and want to play their part in resolving the crisis with which the whole country is grappling.

"We want the Government and the Opposition parties to commit to protecting the welfare of the most vulnerable groups of older people through the State Pension; community care services; and the benefits and allowances that assist people to remain living at home and involved in their families and communities. It's worth bearing in mind that without these social supports, over 86% of older people would be at risk of poverty. The situation is even more precarious for older people living alone, where 96% would be at risk of poverty without these social supports. Clearly then, any cuts to welfare and social supports would have a devastating impact on older people," Patricia Conboy said.

Speaking at the launch, Joe Durkan, UCD Economist, said that he believed that the real level of welfare payments could be cut over the next few years. He also said that the pension shortfall following the collapse of share prices will affect future retirees, while the banking collapse means that retirees are facing a loss of capital and income.

"It is obvious that the structure of the pension industry needs to be reformed. There is a need to move to a more structured national pension system with a basic level of pension for all and an income related payment, funded by taxation rather than by pension fund contributions."

Mr Durkan said that because none of the main items of income for older people are secure, it is inevitable that they will suffer a reduction in living standards. In addition, he also said that the gains in life expectancy achieved since 1961 - 2.8 years for males at age 65 years and 4.3 years for females - are at risk following the retrenchment in the health services.

"People aged 65 and over account for 27-30% of hospital discharges, inpatients and day cases in public hospitals and are also significant users of private hospital facilities. The cutbacks in HSE expenditure will inevitably impact on the availability of health services and hence on older people. Hence older people need to develop strategies to maintain and improve their health status," Joe Durkan said.

The Senior Help Line's Anne Dempsey challenged the notion of older people being a burden on our society and highlighted the fact that, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 15% - considered to be a conservative estimate - of older people are involved in volunteer work in their communities.

"A few years ago when the proportion of older people in our population began to grow, it became fashionable to talk about the demographic time bomb as if older people were suddenly going to explode in some rather unpleasant way, unleashing a rain of walking sticks and zimmer frames. Older and Bolder prefers to talk about the demographic bounty - the value of older people as a resource in families as loving parents and grandparents, as friends, neighbours giving a cohesion and maturity to many communities, and as volunteers giving back to society. Many older people are actively engaged in their communities precisely because of the support of their pension, and the services to which they are entitled due to their age and/or their income levels," Anne Dempsey said.

Older and Bolder's Patricia Conboy said that while older people's needs can be met 'economically', Ireland needs a long-term plan that recognises the links between economic and social development. Ms Conboy pointed out that in the run-up to the last General Election, over 30,000 older people called on all of the parties and the incoming Government to commit to the development of a National Positive Ageing Strategy.

"There is a strong economic, social and political case for a coherent, planned and long-term approach to population ageing. That case is even stronger in a time of recession. That is why Older and Bolder has consistently campaigned for the development and implementation of a National Positive Ageing Strategy. It is also why we are extremely concerned at the Government's extreme slowness in delivering on its promise in the 2007 Programme for Government to develop a National Positive Ageing Strategy.

"As recently as last December, the Minister for Older People, Máire Hoctor TD, promised that the public consultation on the strategy would get underway in early 2009. So far there is no sign of it and there is no evidence of official vigour and enthusiasm for the preparation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy," Patricia Conboy concluded.

Note to Editor

Older and Bolder is an alliance of eight non-governmental organisations in the ageing sector that are committed to a joint campaign for the development and implementation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy. The members of the alliance, who work with and represent thousands of older people, are: Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Age Action Ireland Ltd., Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the Senior Help Line. Older and Bolder's vision is of an Ireland that affirms ageing and the rights of all older people, enabling everyone to live and die with confidence and dignity as equal, respected and involved members of society as we age.