Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the finding of the report by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, The Social Inclusion of Older People at Local Level, that we need to develop a national policy which ensures the full participation of elderly persons in society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30845/05]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether society ignores the voice of elderly persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30846/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 70 together. The report, The Social Inclusion of Older People at Local Level, prepared for the National Council on Ageing and Older People by the Work Research Centre, identifies the policies and measures that are being planned and implemented by the county and city development boards to ensure the inclusion of older people at local level. The report also concludes that the involvement of older people in local level planning and decision making is a key mechanism of the social inclusion process.

The office for social inclusion has been working with the National Council on Ageing and Older People to ensure that full account is taken of the position of older people and their needs in the ongoing strategic process to combat poverty and social exclusion. This will intensify over the coming months, as the office co-ordinates preparation of the next action plan to cover the period 2006 to 2008, due for submission to the European Commission by September 2006.

Consultation on the plan has commenced and written submissions from the various stakeholders have been requested and received. Invitations are currently being issued to all interested bodies and persons to a series of national and regional consultation seminars. Older persons and their representatives will be especially welcome as they are one of the key groups vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion.

Full account will be taken in preparing the plan of this report, The Social Inclusion of Older People at Local Level, and, in particular, how the recommendations in the report can be implemented. The needs of older people, especially as they grow more frail and dependent, have to be met as a priority. But it must also be continually recognised that a majority of older people at any one time have much to contribute to their families, their local community and society generally and that effective mechanisms should exist for their participation in planning and decision making. Their participation must be encouraged and facilitated and I am satisfied that the report will make a real contribution to achieving this objective.

The current NAP-inclusion already recognises that access to adequate resources is an important requirement for the participation of older people. In this regard, the Government has, since 1997, increased pensions substantially. During this period, pensions have increased by 81% while the consumer price increase over the same period was 30.7%. This represents a real increase of 38.5%. Old age contributory pensioners are now receiving €157.30 per week compared to the equivalent of €99 in 1997.

Furthermore, the Government is committed to increasing the basic social welfare pension to €200 per week by 2007. The Government is now preparing for the challenges ahead as our population ages in the coming years so that we can ensure that retired people have an adequate income, which, as far as possible, maintains their pre-retirement standard of living and that these pensions are sustainable in the long run.

This is being achieved through the national pensions policy initiative, which was developed following extensive consultation with the social partners, representative organisations and the pensions industry. In addition to significant increases in basic social welfare pensions, this strategy includes expanding private and occupational pensions coverage from a current level of 50% of the workforce to 70%, with PRSAs being the main policy instrument being used in this latter regard and the national pensions reserve fund, which now stands at €8.4 billion.

Regarding the needs of frail and dependent older people, the long-term care working group, which is being chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach and comprises senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and Social and Family Affairs, is continuing its work. The objective of this group is to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long term care. The group will report shortly.