Apr 27, 2016:

Loneliness is a plague for older people - Active Retirement Ireland continues its call to end loneliness in Ireland

27th April, 2016: President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, attended the Active Retirement Ireland (ARI) AGM in the Slieve Russell Hotel, Co. Cavan today as over 500 delegates, representing more than 24,500 members, met to discuss issues that affect older people in Ireland. ARI, the country’s largest community-based older people’s organisation, called on the next government to once and for all address the National Positive Ageing Strategy and end the “plague of loneliness” that is one of the biggest contributing factors to poor health in old age.

Mai Quaid, President of Active Retirement Ireland, said the challenge of loneliness is growing more difficult for community groups to overcome. She said: “Ireland has a generation of hidden citizens – left behind in a recession and not party to any recovery. Our hidden citizens come from all walks of life. They are in our cities, towns and villages; they are living alone in the middle of nowhere. They need our help. They need the hand of friendship.”

Active Retirement Ireland has continued to highlight the serious issue of loneliness in our older communities in 2016 and called on the new government to address the National Positive Ageing Strategy. Mai Quaid added: “We understand that homelessness and hospitals will take precedence for the next government, but that is no excuse for pushing the problem of Ireland’s hidden citizens further down the road. This will affect everyone. We must see action from the Government to alleviate the isolations and loneliness that impacts our older people. In order to do this, the National Positive Ageing Strategy must be a priority for the next government.”

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins gave the keynote address at the conference, which saw members from as far afield as Kerry and Donegal make the journey to Cavan. The President said: "Providing for aging and longer life with dignity must be a central pillar of our social contract. Just as we had to learn to build our policy structure in ways which respected childhood and motherhood; so too we must plan effectively for rich and flourishing older age."

The President added: “Continued dialogue on the needs and the potential of an aging population are essential to the fostering of active senior citizenship and, in that way, the creation of truly democratic societies and communities. It is through such active participation, by groups such as the Active Retirement Association, that increased and better policy measures and services to meet the needs and enable the contribution of older people in our society to come to the fore can best be achieved.”

 

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