Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an excellent question. I am sure it is not because Deputy Bruton does not intend to seek re-election to the Dáil and has announced his retirement that he is looking to know if he can play a role. There would be nobody better to play a role in our education system because we have certainly learned from him here.

This question gets to the very heart of the ageism that exists in society, of which there are so many examples, as we all know. I think we all agree on this. There are so many arbitrary ages that have just grown up over time. There is a cultural issue in education, where we see it as something that is age bound. There are so many people at a later stage of life, whatever that means, who may wish to access education and may benefit from education economically but also just from a social and well-being point of view. I have met some of these people. There are also many people who are retired with immense skill sets who would be happy to give back and contribute to passing on those skill sets through the education sector, formally or informally, to the next generation.

I believe my Department can make a valuable contribution to the lives of older age groups by ensuring they are facilitated to participate in all aspects of education. I view this question as thought-provoking and refreshing. It is very important in the context of an ageing population that we can facilitate equal and fair opportunities for older people to participate in all aspects of society.

The OECD skills strategy review, which we discussed earlier today, highlights the need for an increased focus on short and flexible skilling options for individuals entering or transitioning into the workforce. The review also identifies older people who can at times become vulnerable in terms of their lifelong learning participation because of those cultural or stereotypical barriers we need to break down. It provides a comprehensive set of actions relevant to responding to the upskilling and reskilling needs of that group.

There are a number of strategies under way across Government to help support older people in our society, such as addressing fundamental digital skills, with a target of 80% of Irish adults developing basic digital literacy skills. However, I do not think it is actually about supporting older people in this context of education. It is about empowering them and about looking at ways in which our education system can be opened to them, both in terms of sharing their knowledge and gaining knowledge. On the basis of this question and the basis we are in the European year of skills, I now intend to task my Department to work with its agencies to see how we can respond to this suggestion comprehensively.

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