Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1 million every year pass the threshold of 60 years of age and very soon in Ireland one in four of our population will be over the age of 65. That will have significant social and economic implications at an individual, family and societal level. There is no doubt it will pose challenges but it will also bring good opportunities. Older people continue to make a major contribution to our society as workers, mentors, care-givers, child-minders - many of us have grandparents looking after our children - and, most importantly, as volunteers and active members of our community. This challenge can be met and opportunities exploited by planning now to ensure that Irish society is age friendly in the years ahead. It is the Government's policy to support older people to live with dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. This is achieved through a range of enhanced community-based services such as home help, meals on wheels, a service in which I am involved, respite or day care services and, in more complex cases, enhanced home care packages can be provided. Where is not possible for a person to live in their own home, our policy is to support access to quality, long-term residential care.

In 2011 there were more than half a million people over the age of 65 in this country and in response the Government policy has been to move the health system towards primary and community-based care to reduce growing pressure on our hospitals. The vehicle for this has been the promotion of integrated care. Interventions such as falls clinics in the community for older people and enhanced geriatric community care, all liaising between primary care teams and health and social networks, are designed to keep people from being admitted to hospital or having to go into nursing homes.

Budget 2014 made difficult choices and sometimes among all the measures the good news gets lost. For example, as the Minister of State pointed out, the announcement of the additional €200 million for new capital projects includes funding for housing adaptations and grants for older people, particularly people with disabilities. Budget 2014 protected and maintained the State pension, the carers scheme, free travel, fuel allowance and the free television licence. The tax treatment of elderly people remains unchanged with no change in net income for pensioners as a result of this budget. That is worthy of saying. People aged 65 and over will continue to be treated more favourably under the Irish income tax code than all other taxpayers. This favourable treatment of pensioners has been protected in this budget.

While an ageing population is one of the success stories of the modern age, society needs to prepare in order to cater efficiently for the specific needs of that population. I am talking about the care we provide for them. We have seen new key senior care services that have been launched recently, particularly in the area of home care and medical support.

In April this year the Minister published the National Positive Ageing Strategy, which provides a blueprint for planing for the ageing of our society. In the past policy relating to older people tended to deal almost exclusively with health and social care issues. The national strategy seeks to highlight that ageing is not only a health issue but requires a whole of government response to address a range of interconnected factors that affect health and wellbeing. The strategy is a significant life cycle approach to the issues of ageing and promotes a view that all Departments must take responsibility for the key issues underpinning positive ageing, endorsing a strong and positive message about the place and role of older people in our society, and its identification of key goals and objectives which address key aspects in older people's lives. That is very much to be welcomed. Successful implementation of the strategy will not only enable older people live fulfilled lives but it will enable Irish society to capitalise on the considerable democratic bounty of Ireland's gradually ageing population. The strategy reflects the aspiration that we all have of society, which is an inclusive one, an inclusive Ireland. The National Positive Ageing Strategy provides a blueprint for this planning, for what we can and what we must do individually and collectively to make Ireland a good country in which to grow old. At its core, the strategy seeks to create a shift in the mindset of how we conceptualise ageing and what needs to be done, particularly to promote positive ageing.

As we are living longer, one of the objectives of the strategy has been to combat ageism by encouraging our media and other opinion-making actors to give an aged balance image of society. With regard to much of the talk about our elderly, particularly of the people protesting outside the House today, naming them the grey brigade is a disgrace. This is a prime example of what we are trying to avoid with the positive ageing strategy. Positive dignified ageing is of relevance to every one of us because no matter what age we are today we will all age. Ageing is a lifelong process that does not start at 65 years of age and it is something hopefully we are all going to share.

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