Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered the scope for promoting engaging activities and positive health measures as a part of the welfare programmes promoted by her Department to the pensioners whom she supports with regular financial payments and occasional urgent need payments as part of a more joined-up approach to positive ageing. [18076/24]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister's Department probably has the most extensive network connecting to people who have left the workforce. We know that staying connected and active is the key to the well-being of people have left the workforce. Will the Minister consider the opportunity she has for promoting engaging activities among people who have left the workforce because it is a huge gulf?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to supporting older people to access timely, high-quality, person-centred and integrated care in the most appropriate setting and to support positive ageing across the life course. To this end, the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people brought forward a proposal for the establishment of an independent commission on care for older people. The Government approved the proposal in October 2023 and in March of this year the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people announced the appointment of the members of the commission. The commission will examine the health and social care services and supports for older people across the continuum of care and make recommendations on their strategic developments. This is the appropriate forum for considering engaging activities and positive health measures for older people.

The terms of reference for the commission provide for the establishment of a cross-departmental group under the auspices of the commission which will examine areas such as social welfare supports for older persons. My Department has committed to engaging in this cross-departmental group when it is established and will support the work of the commission as needed. I hope this clarifies the matter in some way.

I agree with Deputy Bruton that a lot of older people have much to contribute to our society and we should find ways to harness that expertise and experience. I am happy to work with the Deputy to progress this matter further and I will take on board any suggestions he may have. I have extended the age limit to ensure that people can continue to work until the age of 70, if they wish to. I have changed the State pension accordingly to give people that option. Those are the things we need to do to facilitate that.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister will have often heard the phrase "a stitch in time saves nine". Does the Minister agree that setting up a commission on care is already too late in the cycle? The reality is that if people stay connected and active after they retire, they will have many years of good health and not come into the caring system at all. As Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan just asked about, the Minister has developed a comprehensive activation programme for people who are in the workforce but suddenly, once someone has left the workforce, the Department's activation falls away. Is it not logical that well ahead of talking about care, we try to keep people active, well and connected? The Minister's Department has a far better chance of doing so than the Department of Health.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department has activation programmes. The level of unemployment among young people tends to be higher and we specifically want to focus on young people and on getting them back into the workforce. I visited Kilkenny yesterday and there was a jobs fair there. I have to say-----

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Activation is not just about work; it can be in someone's community doing all sorts of things.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Yes, and that is why we have a Minister of State with responsibility for older people. I can only speak of what my Department is trying to do. I am also happy to work with the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people, Deputy Butler, to progress any suggestions she might have in terms of how we can work with older people. We meet with Age Friendly Ireland. There is a lot of work in my other Department through the library services and how we can engage older people to take on different courses and learn new skills in that space. I take the Deputy's point and am happy to work with the Minister of State.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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We are missing a beat here. We are too siloed in the way we think of this. We see people who are over a certain age as a caring problem, and not as an opportunity. Activation should be just as relevant to someone who has left the workforce as it is to someone who is aged 64 and wants to work for another year. It can be activation throughout the community in all sorts of unpaid positions in leisure and physical activities and all sorts of things. No Department is responsible for that at the moment.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There is a great nationwide programme, also in my own county, the university of the third generation, I think.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is the University of the Third Age.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Yes. They do really good work.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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They do..

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I have spoken to them in my role as Minister for business about how they could contribute.

We should tap into that resource. I know some of those involved well and they have a lot to offer. I agree with the Deputy. We are missing a trick in terms of the valuable resource that we have in our older generation. As he said, we need some way to activate them. I am happy to examine how we can keep them in the workforce, especially given that people are now living longer and are healthier. Why not keep them in the workforce? It is an asset that we should use.