Press Release

(16 August 2022) The savings and incomes of older persons could lose 15-20% of their spending power by the end of 2023 putting many older persons at risk of poverty unless the Government takes action in Budget 2023 warns Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy agency on older persons and ageing.

(Tuesday 26 July 2022) 

Budget 2023 – No Ordinary Budget for Extraordinary Times

Age Action Calls for €23 Increase in the State Pension

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation on ageing and older persons, is calling for a €23 increase in the State Pension saying that Budget 2023 cannot be an ordinary budget. Age Action argues that Budget 2023 needs to deliver an evidence-based increase in the State Pension that is poverty-proofed and equality-proofed – a €23 increase in the State Pension is the minimum amount required to maintain the State Pension’s spending power. The reality of high price inflation is that the full rate contributory State Pension will lose €22.80 in spending power in 2022 and will further lose spending power in 2023 as inflation will still be high.

(Saturday 23 July2022) 

Age Action welcomes the Taoiseach’s announcement of a plan to allow flexible access to the State Pension, but care is needed to ensure that the proposals are fair and do not reinforce existing inequalities in the system. Extensive stakeholder engagement is now needed on these new proposals.

(Friday 22 July 2022) Responding to AIB’s announcement on Friday that they will not proceed with their plan to remove cash services from 70 branches, Celine Clarke Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action said “Cash is king for people budgeting on low incomes or who are not online. Limiting their access to their cash puts those people at risk of debt. Forcing people to do their business online puts some older persons at risk of financial elder abuse." 

(Thursday 21 July 2022) 

Age Action welcomes the high-level intervention today by the Taoiseach calling for AIB to reconsider and reflect on its announcement that 70 branches will become “cashless”.

Dr Nat O’Connor, Senior Public Affairs and Policy Specialist at Age Action said “Age Action has been contacted by many older persons who are dismayed that they will lose access to cash services in their local area. We know that many people manage their income through cash, literally putting aside amounts of money to cover different expenses.  For the many people not using the internet, it is just not possible to keep track of cashless transactions and there is a risk of getting into debt that people just can’t afford when living on a modest State Pension. There is also a genuine risk of financial elder abuse for those people who are not online if they are forced to seek help to manage their financial affairs.”

Press Release: Joint NGO Statement on Energy Poverty and Energy Pollution

Environmental and anti-poverty organisations join forces to call for common solutions to both energy poverty and climate  pollution

The NGOs are calling for sweeping cross-Government action to simultaneously eliminate energy poverty and reduce Ireland’s polluting emissions by 51% by 2030

(15 June 2022)  On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Age Action is reiterating the call for the establishment of a Commissioner for Ageing and Older Persons, with a supporting legal framework, that will ensure that we are all treated with respect and on an equal basis with the rest of the population in older age.

3,871 notifications of abuse for persons aged over 65 was reported in the HSE’s National Safeguarding Report 2021. Immediate family members are identified as the person of concern in reported cases of abuse of people over the age of 65.

(31 March 2022) Age Action is calling on the Government to reintroduce the Energy Guarantee for Older Persons, which would provide a minimum quantity of energy for all older persons, as part of a comprehensive new national energy poverty strategy. The call comes as the latest price increases of 23.4% for electricity and 24.8% for gas were announced by Electric Ireland. 

(15 March 2022) Reacting to Bord Gáis Energy’s announced price increase of 39% for gas and 27% for electricity, Age Action’s Senior Public Affairs and Policy Specialist, Nat O’Connor, said “Many older persons will be unable to afford this price increase, meaning that people will be unable to heat their homes adequately unless they are given extra support. Many older people need to keep their homes extra warm for health reasons.”

(8 February 2022) Reacting to the Government agreement to an €8 billion retrofit programme, aiming to bring 500,000 homes to B+ energy ratings, Celine Clarke, Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action said “We welcome the fact that this programme for government commitment is a step closer to implementation as climate action is urgently needed but we need it to be in the spirit of climate justice. The home retrofit programme is going to take at least eight years to deliver its promise to retrofit half a million homes. But older people need help with their energy bills now, as energy prices went up by 27% in 2021 and are expected to rise further. That is why Age Action has called for a new energy poverty strategy, to include new measures to use carbon tax revenue to fund energy payments to every older person who cannot afford rising energy costs”.