Press Release

Age Action is organising a new four-week course exploring the role and lives of older people in Ireland and developing countries. 

The 14th Positive Ageing Week was launched this morning by celebrity hotelier, Francis Brennan, who hosted a ‘Senior Safari’ in Dublin Zoo. The event takes place from 26 September to 2 October and is supported by Bank of Ireland. 

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation for older people, has while welcoming it expressed its disappointment with today’s report on longer working lives from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, describing it as a missed opportunity.

Age Action has today urged the Government to keep the promise made in the Fine Gael election manifesto to Ireland’s pensioners. 

Age Action has urged the general public to check on older neighbours, especially those living alone, following today’s Met Éireann weather warning.

The crisis in Ireland’s home help services was the main topic for hundreds of Age Action members gathered in Croke Park today for the organisation’s 23rd Annual General Meeting.

Age Action has welcomed additional funding for home help services announced today by Minister for Health Simon Harris TD but the organisation warned that thousands of older people will still not get the support they need.

Age Action is marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (15 June) by launching a new animated video to warn older people and their families of the dangers of financial elder abuse. In the coming weeks the organisation will also distribute more than 20,000 information leaflets to community centres and retirement groups around Ireland. 

A new report launched this morning in Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin, exposes serious problems in Ireland’s home care services. The system is disorganised, fragmented and underfunded with social workers estimating more than half of the older people they work with could be at home instead of in long-term residential care if the appropriate services were available.

Age Action has described figures published by the CSO this afternoon that indicate pension coverage among workers has fallen to 47 per cent as ‘deeply worrying’. The organisation has called for a renewed emphasis from the Government on protecting the State Pension.