Concern over ageing strategy

Age Action welcomes the publication of the National Positive Ageing Strategy and its vision for the development of a truly age-friendly society.

However, it is concerned about how the strategy will be implemented and who will take responsibility for its implementation.

We support the strategy’s lifecycle approach to issues of ageing, and its view that all government departments have to take responsibility for addressing the key issues which underpin positive ageing. We wholeheartedly endorse the strategy’s strong and positive message about the place and role of older people in society, and its identification of key goals and objectives which address key aspects of older people’s lives.

If successfully implemented, the strategy would not only enable older people live fulfilled lives, but would enable Irish society to capitalise on the considerable demographic bounty of Ireland’s gradually ageing population.

The strategy correctly states that a society that is willing to plan, can afford to grow old.

However, Age Action is concerned about how the plan will be resourced and implemented. The document identifies priority actions rather than specific measures to address its goals, noting that the strategy cannot make commitments that will involve a cost in the current or medium term, given Ireland’s fiscal deficit. The strategy itself has no timescale. We are disappointed that a national strategy, which has been promised for the last six years, is curtailed by the current economic situation, and makes no allowance for the expectation that the current austerity measures will not last forever. The strategy states that the recently announced Healthy Ireland strategy will create the foundations for the implementation of the National Positive Ageing Strategy, and that a Healthy Ireland implementation plan will be drawn up later this year.

A separate implementation plan is envisaged for the NPAS and this is expected within the next six months.

The report identifies specific government departments which will have key lead responsibility for addressing key objectives. Age Action welcomes this, but is concerned that no department or statutory agency is given lead responsibility for developing a wide range of cross-departmental objectives. If the strategy is to deliver, all arms of government must play their part. It is unclear how this will happen across a range of issues which need to be addressed by a number of departments.

Eamon Timmins

Head of Advocacy and Communications

Age Action

30/31 Lower Camden Street

Dublin 2