Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the implementation of the NPAS. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who is in the Seanad.

The programme for Government committed to completing and implementing the NPAS in order that older people are recognised, supported and enabled to live independent full lives. The strategy was published in April 2013 and provides the blueprint for a whole-of-government and whole of society approach to planning for an ageing society. The NPAS provides a vision for an age-friendly society and includes four national goals and underpinning objectives to provide direction on the issues that need to be addressed to promote positive ageing. The strategy aims to promote the health, well-being and quality of life of older people by focusing on issues relevant to them across the policy development and service delivery process. This a cross-departmental strategy. Improving health, well-being and quality of life of older people will be a gradual and progressive process involving a shift in mindset by Government, policy makers, service providers, and, indeed, all of society.

A healthy and positive ageing initiative has been established to implement the research objective of the NPAS. It is a joint initiative between the Department of Health, the HSE's health and well-being programme and Atlantic Philanthropies. The initiative will monitor changes in older people's health and well-being linked to the goals and objectives of the strategy. This will be done primarily through the development of positive ageing indicators to be published every two years. The HSE will also develop a physical activity communications campaign under the initiative.

It is clear that a great deal happening is across government that is of relevance and of benefit to older people. My Department is currently considering how best to ensure that the objectives included in the strategy, which are mostly broad, will inform all policies that affect older people on an indefinite basis into the future. We are still in the early stages of implementation, but the NPAS is a clear indication by Government of the importance that it attaches to older people. The strategy is a commitment to ensuring Ireland will be a society that both celebrates and prepares for population ageing and the aim is to become a society in which the equality, independence, participation, care self-fulfilment and dignity of older people are pursued at all times.

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