Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I support Senator Fitzgerald's call for a debate on the equality issue. Today is International Human Rights Day and I will focus on the lack of human rights for older people. Over 10% of our population are over 65 and that figure is set to double in the next 30 years. There are approximately 500,000 people aged over 65 in Ireland. In my document entitled A New Approach to Aging and Ageism I spelt out how a person under 65 is seen as an asset to the country, while someone over 65 is seen as a liability. A woman aged over 65 years cannot avail of free BreastCheck screening and a woman aged over 60 years has no free cervical cancer screening. A person aged 65 years or over cannot have a ten-year driving licence. Instead, he or she can have a three-year driving licence or, if this cannot be granted for medical reasons, a one-year licence. Worldwide travel insurance for the elderly is €100 more expensive than it is for someone aged under 65 years.

When the Government was being formed in June 2007, I worked with it to ensure it delivered the abolition of mandatory retirement at 65 years of age. It should follow through on this initiative.