Discrimination in the workplace on the basis of age is the biggest area being dealt with by the Equality Authority under the Employment Equality Acts, according to its chief executive.
Niall Crowley, speaking at the start of Say No To Ageism week, added age was the third-highest ground for allegations of discrimination under the Equal Status Act. He said such discrimination illegally limited people's participation in their own society.
The news comes as the authority publishes a survey showing more than half (57 per cent) of those asked believed Irish society treated older people worse than young, while 38 per cent thought it "fair" to assert that older people were "set in their ways".
Mr Crowley said ageism was "not just a cultural phenomenon" but a set of ideas and perspectives that found expression in the corporate policy and practice of organisations across all sectors.
"These policies and practices disadvantage older people and young people and limit their participation in society through a range of mechanisms."
Among the ways in which age discrimination was manifest, said Mr Crowley, were age limits on services and inadequate resources to ensure the needs of people - older or younger - were met.
A "particular" concern, he said, was the use of mandatory retirement age limits to exclude older employees from the workplace.
He called on organisations to "review their internal policies and practices" to ensure there was no ageism or discrimination.
Say No To Ageism week is a joint initiative of the Equality Authority, the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Health Service Executive.
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