Explain why healthy people aged 70 can’t be census enumerators

The over-70s are excluded from being enumerators by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the forthcoming census.

Among the 19 challenges proposed regarding the role of enumerator are questions like ‘do you enjoy knocking at doors?, ‘are you comfortable around dogs?’ and ’are you proficient at map-reading?’.

How anyone can justify the exclusion of the over-70s from the role of enumerators on the basis of these so-called challenges is incomprehensible and can only be understood as another example of exclusion through ageism.

I would accept this exclusion if the role of enumerator was limited to under-employed or unemployed people in our society but not to some bureaucratic decision based on criteria which can only have its basis in ageism.

Who decided that the the fit and willing over-70s have nothing left to offer society?

Brendan Butler

The Moorings

Malahide

Co Dublin