The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs (the Alliance) represents the collective thinking of seven significant NGOs working in the age sector.
Separately, we provide vital services for older people, support older people to contribute to and participate in community life and advocate for better policies, services and supports for older people at national and local level.
The heightened challenges faced by older people during Covid-19 have been clear for all to see and so the Alliance will continue to call for a renewed focus on regaining the positive role of older people in society. In particular, the Alliance wants Government to:
- Institute a coherent system of supports so that older people can stay in their own homes to end of life, as so many want to do.
- Take ageism seriously and implement a well-resourced and meaningful programme of action to counteract it.
- Appoint a champion with a cross-Departmental brief to prioritise older people’s issues across the board and resource the active implementation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013).
- Establish an independent Commissioner or Ombudsman for Older People, similar to that in Northern Ireland.
We are an ageing population. In Ireland, it is predicted that those over the age of 65 will reach one million people within the next 10 years – or just two typical Dáil terms.
Older people and their interests must be considered by elected representatives when making decisions, now more than ever.
It is our hope, by the next International Day of Older People – 1 October 2022, we will have seen significant progress on some of these key issues.
Read the full Alliance of Age Sector NGOs Annual Statement here.
