We must never regard our senior citizens as a burden on resources

THERE is a story often told in our house about an Ireland we no longer recognise.

A poor farm labourer boasted that he was "raising a large family, paying off an old debt and putting money in the bank." How, the riddle went, could he do it?

The answer was, he was looking after his parents in his own home thereby paying off the old debt. And by bringing up a large family, he was putting money in the bank since his children would look after him in his old age.