Older & Bolder says Incoming Government must make tackling age discrimination a priority [24/01/11]

Alliance seeks commitment for continuation and implementation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy

Strategy needed to tackle income security, access to health and social care, access to transport and information as well as ensuring that older people remain actively involved in their communities

The Older & Bolder alliance has today (Monday, 24 January) said that it is seeking a commitment from all parties that they will, as part of any incoming Government, continue the work on and finally implement a National Positive Ageing Strategy (NPAS).  Director of Older & Bolder, Patricia Conboy, said that the alliance believes that the process of preparing the NPAS – which began in 2008 and will be crucial in tackling age discrimination in Irish society – must continue.

Patricia Conboy said that it is essential that any incoming Government commits to the implementation of a national plan to which older people, NGOs and many other stakeholders have already contributed considerable hope, time and energy. She said that progress on preparing the strategy had been painfully slow and that Older & Bolder hoped that a new administration would bring renewed impetus and momentum to the work.

“The development of a National Positive Ageing Strategy was a commitment given by all of the political parties prior to the 2007 General Election and was also contained in the 2007 Programme for Government.  The Strategy is needed to tackle issues highlighted by older people such income security, access to health and social care, access to transport and information as well as ensuring that older people remain actively involved in their communities.  Urgent work on the preparation of the Strategy is still in progress and it is vital that this work is completed and that the new Government moves to implement this plan as a priority action so that we can begin to tackle the problem of age discrimination in earnest.”

Ms Conboy said the need for such a strategy is also highlighted by the disturbing tendency to rationalise some of the measures aimed at the fiscal crisis as a response to a ‘crisis of ageing’.

“It is indeed ironic, in the context of references to the ‘demographic time-bomb’  that it is societies with higher average age and higher percentages of older people that are amongst the wealthiest in terms of GDP per capita and have the strongest economies and substantial welfare states with well-developed health care and social protection systems.”

Ms. Conboy said that, rather than engaging in an ill-conceived blame game, what we need now in Ireland is a coherent, planned and long-term approach to population ageing within the framework of the National Positive Ageing Strategy.

“There are many examples of policy incoherence that a National Positive Ageing Strategy needs to tackle.  For example, there is a contractual obligation on older workers to retire at age 65, whether they want to or not, while at the same time Government plans to progressively increase the qualifying age for the State Pension to 68 years and has no plan to address the income and employment issues arising for older people from this change in policy.” 

Returning to the process of developing the NPAS, Patricia Conboy said that it was important that – out of respect for the thousands of older people who campaigned with Older & Bolder prior to the 2007 Election, who participated in eight consultation meetings in 2008/2009, and out of respect for the NGOs and other stakeholders who have made their submissions on the Strategy  and who participated in meetings organised by the Minister for Older People – this process remains alive and results in a meaningful Strategy that is fit for purpose.

Patricia Conboy concluded by saying that Older & Bolder would be campaigning for a commitment from all political parties on the NPAS, stating: “Older & Bolder will continue to campaign for the implementation of the NPAS and to encourage a much-needed and long-overdue debate on ageing in Ireland.”

Older & Bolder is an alliance of eight non-governmental organisations in the ageing sector that work with and represent thousands of older people including: Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Older Women’s Network, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the Senior Helpline.