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Older People Should Be Helped In Tough Times
At a meeting today of the Pre- Budget Forum with the Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O Cuiv the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament stressed the importance of maintaining Older People’s purchasing power.
Mairead Hayes CEO stated that while the pension was not reduced in last year’s budget many older people have already seen their income and buying power reduced by a number of decisions made by government including the loss of the additional payment at Christmas, the loss of benefits and the introduction of charges and levies such as the carbon tax, the PSO levy and the prescription charge among others.
The Parliament today called on the Minister to maintain the pension, to increase the Living Alone Allowance and to extend it to low income civil service pensioners. The Parliament also argued that now is the time to increase the Over 80 Age Allowance by €5.
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament highlighted the essential role played by the Fuel Allowance and urged its extension by one week this year.
Ms. Hayes continued, a previous Minister for Social Welfare, sadly no longer with us, said that,
Measures such as the Age Allowance and Living Alone Allowance together with the Fuel Allowance were introduced in tougher times to help those worse off. We would contend that this is that time and these Older People should be helped now.
Wexford Division Committee
The following are the officers and members of the Co. Wexford Division of the ISCP:
Chairperson: Sean Kinsella
Vice Chairperson: Pat Morgan
Secretary: Bridget Neville
Treasurer/PRO: Betty Breen
Committee Members:
Dwight & Claire Moore, Lillian McKenna, Bebe Kehoe Larry Doyle, Susan Malcolm, Kelly Dundavan, Rita Gerard & Mary Martin.
Is Dan O’Brien for Real?
Government will have to cut old-age pension as reported in the Irish Times today makes for a great headline
said Máiréad Hayes CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens However it should be remembered that for the majority of Older People this is their sole income. It is what keeps them alive and in some cases above the poverty line.
Mr O’Brien makes what appear to be very rational arguments on the face of it. However what he ignores is, that far from being better off, Senior Citizens have seen real cuts to their income by the withdrawal of the Additional Payment at Christmas, increased costs arising from carbon tax, loss of dental and optical benefit, the introduction of prescription charges, high fuel charges, reported reductions in transport services and planned cuts in Home Help Services to name but a few.
There was a commitment in the programme for government to a State Pension of €300 by 2012 and at the current rate of €230 we are still a long way off achieving that figure.”
Older People are sharing the burden in this economic downturn as they have done through previous downturns. There are still over 17% of Older People who are at risk of poverty and the State Pension as a percentage of average earnings is one of the lowest in the EU.
Older Lifelong Learners bring Mental Capital to Society
Ena O’Mahoney, Vice-President of the Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament spoke yesterday at the seminar, ‘Enriching the College Community with Older Lifelong Learners’ in Trinity College. She told her audience of the wealth of ‘mental capital’ accrued by older people in this country and how, if utilised, it could benefit the whole of society.
The seminar highlighted the fact that education is a lifelong activity and showed that older learners attending college are as committed to learning as their younger colleagues
Ms O’Mahoney particularly stressed the role that lifelong learning can play in combating social exclusion and loneliness, pointing out that for those who pursued further education as older students:
There is the chance to enjoy a new sense of community with people who share their interests and passions, providing opportunities for socialising and progression routes to whole new worlds of experience, effectively counteracting what can be a period in life when social contacts decline.
The ISCP warmly welcomes this initiative taken by Trinity College.
The Parliament also welcomes the presence of Minister for State, Seán Haugheyat the seminar as a demonstration of the government’s support to the commitments made in the Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, to maximise adult and community educational opportunities for older people. In particular the Parliament agreed with his statement that ‘Education should also be a means of ensuring greater social contact, exchange of ideas and mutual respect between the generations.’
TCD Vice-Provost/ Chief Academic Officer Prof Patrick Prendergast; Vice President of Irish Senior Citizens Parliament Ena O’Mahoney; Age Action Ireland representative Senator David Norris; Psychology Student Philip Martin Murray; Minister of State with Responsibility for Lifelong Learning Sean Haughey; Lecturer in Adult Nursing Jacinta Kelly and event organiser Jennifer Ryan.