Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important debate on protecting the rights of our senior citizens and expressing and supporting solidarity between the generations. This is a very significant debate, particularly after yesterday's protest outside the Dáil gates. I attended the protest to show my total support for our elderly, our sick and our disabled. Any society and any Government that does not stand by these people does not deserve any support.

I urge the Government and Dáil to support this motion. We need to back our senior citizens to the hilt. They have served this country and made a massive contribution to the State, to their families and to the wider community. I commend the Senior Citizens' Parliament, Age Action Ireland and other groups on taking a stand, and tonight I will be voting for them.

I strongly believe that Irish society should protect the rights of all older citizens and solidarity between the generations. Services for older people should be protected to allow them to live independently and with dignity. Older people are now more anxious about services being removed from them, which will lead to isolation and illness. Older people do not want to be pressurised about means tests and application forms for health services.

I call for public services to be maintained for older citizens in a fair, progressive way and I call on the Government to reaffirm Ireland's agreement to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.

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