Recognition of older people as social partners urged

The direct representation of elderly people at partnership talks would be a "good idea", the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs has said.

Mr Ahern was speaking following his address to the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament (ISCP) annual meeting in Dublin yesterday.

The parliament, an umbrella organisation co-ordinating more than 200 organisations for older people, had earlier unanimously passed a motion calling on the Government "to give recognition to older people as full social partners".

Among about 200 delegates at the first day of the two-day meeting were representatives from Age and Opportunity, the Retired Garda Siochana Association and the National Association of Widows in Ireland. The ISCP has 50,000 members.

Asked for his view on the call from the parliament for direct representation at future partnership talks, Mr Ahern said: "It's a good idea, but something that would have to be put to others. The older people in the country are an important group, but it would have to be seen how it would slot in with the rest of the voluntary sector."

Mr Patrick Donegan, outgoing president of the ISCP, called the non-recognition of the 500,000 older people in the State as social partners "unacceptable", and called on the incoming officer board and executive to advance the issue with Government.

There was also a unanimous vote in favour of direct representation of older people on each of the health boards.

Mr Niall Crowley, chief executive officer of the Equality Authority, who spoke on the issue of older people's participation in the workforce, echoed the sentiments of Mr Ahern when he said participation was "central to change".

"Decisions made that impact on older people must be made with the participation of older people," he said. "Otherwise change can end up merely re-creating exclusions."

The fourth annual meeting of the ISCP continues today at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Bolton Street.