Mar 11, 2011:

OLDER & BOLDER EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN THAT NO MINISTER HAS BEEN ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY FOR OLDER PEOPLE

The Older & Bolder alliance has expressed deep concern this evening at the fact that no full Minister or Minister for State has been explicitly assigned responsibility for older people. 

 

Older & Bolder is an alliance of eight non-governmental organisations in the ageing sector: Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, the Older Women's Network and the Senior Help Line.

 

Older & Bolder's Director, Patricia Conboy, said that a Minister is needed to drive forward the strong agenda for older people contained in the Programme for Government.

 

"Older & Bolder welcomes the fact that the Programme for Government sets out a number of important commitments to older people, including a review of the Fair Deal scheme, the reform of long-term care and the completion and implementation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy.

 

"However, what's missing is a Minister to take responsibility for the delivery of these commitments and this is very disappointing given that recent Governments have appointed Ministers with an explicit brief for older people.

 

"We in Older & Bolder hope that this issue can be rectified by the explicit assignment of the Older People's brief to a Minister in the coming days," Patricia Conboy concluded.

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