Our Three Questions for the Political Parties
We asked all the political parties to answer three critical questions leading up to the General Election on Friday, February 26th.
Below are the questions we asked, and the answers we received.
Note: We are still awaiting responses from a number of political parties.
Question One
The National Positive Ageing Strategy was published in 2013 but there is, as yet, no sign of an implementation plan. We believe a Cabinet-level Minister for Older People is needed to coordinate and drive the changes need to make Ireland the best country in the world in which to grow old. How would your party ensure the full delivery of the strategy over the lifetime of the next government?
Fianna Fáil's response
The last five years have taken a significant toll on older people with numerous cuts to their income and services. Fianna Fáil believes in protecting and supporting older people and ensuring that they have the income and the services that they require to lead full, active and independent lives.
In relation to having a Minister at the Cabinet Table we believe that the time has now come whereby older people’s issues are more directly represented at Cabinet. We propose that the Minister of State for Primary and Social Care who has responsibility the Positive Ageing Strategy attend all Cabinet meetings.
We would gradually see the responsibility for age related issues leading to an Office for Older Citizens in a manner similar to the Office of Children’s Affairs. As ageing issues continue to increase in significance, Fianna Fáil would envisage in the future a full Cabinet post for older people, ageing issues and policies.
Sinn Fein's response
Sinn Féin are committed to a fair recovery for older people. The Fine Gael and Labour government, and Fianna Fáil before them, all cut the incomes of older citizens and the services they rely on, whereas the fully-costed Alternative Budgets that Sinn Féin produced each year in advance of the government’s budgets demonstrated that it was not necessary to make those cuts.
The government had a choice. They could have placed a greater share of the burden of recovery on those who could afford to shoulder it. They chose instead to target older people and disadvantaged, low income groups.
We are mindful of the Constitutional limit on the number of Cabinet Ministers permissible. But I can assure you in a Sinn Féin government the political will would exist in Cabinet for the first time to wholeheartedly pursue the goals of the National Positive Ageing Strategy.
Social Democrats' response
A broad reaching strategy of this sort requires a solid plan, a commitment to implementation and a sufficiently broad approach to see measures introduced across a range of government departments. The Social Democrats are fully dedicated to adopting an implementation plan in the early stages of the next Dáil term so that the Strategy can be implemented without further delay. As part of building a better society we are committed to measures such as ensuring funding remains in place for community groups that provide essential social and educational opportunities for older persons.
Community-based healthcare services must also receive investment to ensure the physical and mental health needs of older persons are met within their own communities wherever possible. As part of our broad healthcare reform policy we also intend to establish an Irish NHS that would focus on delivering healthcare services to those who need them when they need them. Further details of the wide range of measures we propose to introduce can be found in our manifesto document (Building a Better Future 2016-2026).
Question Two
Our members tell us that rising prices, new taxes and charges have had a profound impact on their budgets as the State Pension stagnated until the October budget and secondary income supports like the telephone allowance and fuel allowance were abolished or cut. How will your party protect and enhance the incomes of older people over the lifetime of the next government?
Fianna Fáil's response
Fianna Fáil have committed to raising the state Pension by €30 over the lifetime of the next Government. This will result in an additional €1,560 per annum for an older person reliant on the State Pension. Furthermore we will recognise the additional costs faced by those who live alone and raise the Living Alone Allowance by €6.00 to €15.00.
In addition to improving income adequacy and living standards we will also abolish prescription charges and water charges. For those without a medical card we will reduce the drugs payment threshold from €144 to €100. We will protect and enhance the Free Travel Scheme which is a vital support for older people.
For those with private pensions we will hold a constitutional referendum to protect private pension funds from Government levies.
These are just some of the measures that we will introduce to ensure that older people are included in Ireland's economic recovery. Under Fianna Fáil older people will be protected, and will see a measurable and tangible improvement in their living standards.
Sinn Fein's response
Sinn Féin pledge to increase the disposable incomes of the vast majority of older people by abolishing Water Charges and the Local Property Tax, increasing the Fuel Allowance, increasing the Living Alone Allowance, abolishing prescription charges for medical card holders and incrementally introducing free prescription medication for everyone.
Sinn Féin pledge to reverse the cuts to the State Pension introduced in 2012 which negatively hit women in particular. Growing numbers are reaching retirement age to find that they are entitled to just a fraction of the state pension since the current government introduced new rate bands and contribution requirements. Sinn Féin will revert the rate bands to their pre-2012 position and drop the contributions requirement from 520 to 260 thereby raising the pension for many thousands of older people.
In addition Sinn Féin will establish a Social Welfare Adequacy Commission - the statutory function of which will be to examine the minimum income required by different household types in receipt of social welfare to secure a Minimum Essential Standard of Living and make associated annual recommendations to the Minister for adjustments to social welfare rates of payment including the state pension.
The Government raised the age at which the state pension can be accessed to 66 by abolishing the State Pension (Transition). This forces many older people, whose contracts of employment may have concluded, onto the dole. Sinn Féin pledge to reintroduce the State Pension (Transition) allowing those who wish to retire at 65 to do so with the support of the state pension.
Social Democrats' response
The past number of years has been particularly hard on older persons, many of whom are struggling to survive. To address this problem the Social Democrats intend to reduce the cost of living by investing in public services. Cuts such as the telephone and fuel allowances simply must be reversed and we are also committed to protecting supports such as the Free Travel Scheme. Medical cards should be made more accessible to over 70s by ensuring applications are assessed on the basis of net income; the prescription charge must also be halved. The State Pension must be enhanced and protected by raising it (at least) in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), providing specific increases for pensioners living on their own and reforming the entitlement criteria to take account of time spent out of the workforce. Pension funds must also be protected from future raids like the pension levy that removed €2.3 billion from people’s savings.
Question Three
Every party says they are committed to enabling older people to stay at home as long as possible. But the home help sector remains unregulated, home help hours provided by the HSE are a million fewer than in 2006 and people are in nursing homes who don’t need to be there. We believe a statutory right to community care is needed but what would your party do over the lifetime of the next government to support older people to stay at home?
Fianna Fáil's response
Fianna Fáil are committed to an ‘Independent Living Contract’ for older people that will guarantee older people can stay in their own homes and their own communities for as long as possible. To that end we will restore the Housing Adaptation Grant and invest in Home Care Packages.
The HSE has estimated that some 2.2 million extra hours of home help and a further 3,500 home care packages for older people are required. As part of our commitment to ensure older people remain independent in their own home for as long as possible, we will ensure that this happens. The Home Care Package scheme is not established in legislation; as it is an administrative scheme, there is no automatic right to a HCP. If part of the next government, Fianna Fáil will also aim to create a statutory entitlement to a home care package.
Sinn Fein's response
Sinn Féin are the only political party to have produced a costed plan for our health system.
In ‘Better 4 Health – Sinn Féin Plan for Universal healthcare’ we detail a five year investment programme worth €3.3 billion that would transform our failing two-tier health service into a world-class, properly resourced health system on which the public can confidently depend. Older people should be supported to live in their own homes and communities if that is their wish.
Our plan includes significant investment in primary and social care including €99 million to increase provision of home help hours and home care packages by 30 per cent and respite care services by 20 per cent. Additional nursing home beds will continue to be needed and we would increase the budget for the Fair Deal scheme by €125.4 million.
Social Democrats' response
Investment in-community supports such as home help must be prioritised if we are to ensure those who do not wish or need to be in nursing homes are not forced to leave their homes due to lack of local services. There are a number of ways to achieve this, for example the Fair Deal Scheme must be reformed and extended to cover home-care packages.
The budget for the community alert scheme must also be increased by €1 million to provide a grant for annual monitoring costs (generally €60 - €80 per annum) and make people more secure in their own homes. We are also calling for an amendment to planning law to require that all new developments feature a range of home types suitable for all stages of life. This would support older persons wishing to move to homes designed for their needs within their own communities.