News
Support the Day of Protest – November 6
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament has decided, following a decision of the Executive Committee, to lend its support to the National Day of Protest on Friday 6 November and to the “Get Up, Stand Up” campaign.
This campaign aims to bring about change in how Government responds to the crisis we face.
As part of the National Day of Protest, there are demonstrations scheduled to take place in eight centres across the country on November 6 at 2.30pm. These are: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Tullamore, and Dundalk.
Protect
- Jobs
- Pensions
- Vulnerable People
- Vital Services
- Community Support
- Peoples’ Homes
We ask our member organisations to get behind this campaign and show that Older People in Ireland will stand up for their rights and to protect pensions, the Christmas Bonus, free travel, the carer’s allowance and of course medical cards.
For more information, see http://www.getupstandup.ie
Communicating Europe – September 2009
In September we held a series of four meetings on Communicating Europe & the Lisbon Treaty. This was in response to requests from members.
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament facilitated these meeting with Members of the European Parliament & other public representatives to inform Older People about the European Union & the Lisbon Treaty and their affect on older people.
Four meetings were held with a variety of speakers. The format was each meeting started with a “Just the Facts” presentation setting the context and history of the European Union facilitated by Andrea Pappin of the European Movement Ireland or Peadar O’Broin of the Institute of International & European Affairs. We sought a representative from the European Commission, but they were unable to facilitate our request.
This was followed by (an equal number of) speakers in favour (Y) of the Treaty & against (N) the Treaty. We had lively discussions as quite a number of older people came along both to listen and contribute.
The main speakers were:
- Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown: Mary Hanafin TD (Y), Proinsias de Rossa MEP (Y), Eoin O’Broin (N) (in place of Mary Lou McDonald) and Tony Allwright, journalist (N). Seán Barrett TD attended and made a contribution. Frank Farrelly, ISCP Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown chaired the meeting.
- EPIC, Dublin: Gay Mitchell MEP (Y) & Patricia McKenna (N). Sylvia Meehan, President ISCP, chaired the meeting
- Finglas: Proinsias de Rossa MEP & Joe Higgins MEP (N). Hugh Smullen, Chair of Finglas Division ISCP, welcomed the attendees & speakers.
- Galway: Cllr. Catherine Connolly (N) & Dr. Brendan Flynn, NUIG (Y). Evelyn Moran, ISCP Honorary Secretary & Galway Division chaired the meeting.
These meetings were organised in close cooperation with the local Divisions of the Parliament. Máiréad Hayes CEO and ISCP staff attended all meetings.
Issues raised at the meetings included : healthcare, pensions, new taxes, why a second referendum, security & defence, the Citizens Initiative, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Irish guarantees, Ireland’s Commissioner, wage rates, climate change and & voting rights.
One Year On – What Fate Awaits Older People In Budget 2010?
On 22nd October it will be one year since thousands of Older People from the length and breadth of Ireland protested at Dáil Éireann against the withdrawal of the medical card for the over 70s. That protest, organized by the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament, was the result of an attempt by Government to break faith with Older People on an issue which they considered to be vital to their health and wellbeing.
On that day Sylvia Meehan, President of the Parliament and recent recipient of a prestigious People of the Year award, said that
research has shown that access to the medical card has led to a decline in serious illness amongst the over 70s. It is good value for everybody. It keeps us out of expensive hospital beds.
Today Máiréad Hayes, the Parliament’s CEO stated:
In that show of strength Older People showed that they are not ready to sit quietly in the corner and await their fate. We were proud of all of them and of ourselves in that manifestation of solidarity, strength and camaraderie which was so evident that day.
We are conscious that we again face a difficult situation as we hear on a daily basis about the Budget which is about to be unleashed on us in December. The ground is being well prepared and, in turn, we in the Parliament hear on a daily basis from Older People living in fear of what is to come.
The ISCP believes that Older People’s health & welfare needs to be moved to the top of the political agenda. “We expect in this Budget that the vulnerable – and especially Older People – will be protected. We have made our Pre-Budget Submission to Government and we expect them to deliver for Older People”
Continuing she said “Among the main points which we have stressed are:
- A commitment to protect the most vulnerable;
- An increase of €10 in the State Pension for Older People (see note below);
- The reinstatement of the Additional Payment at Christmas for pensioners (Christmas Bonus);
- Access to services as of right for all Older People and especially access to travel and the entitlement to the Travel Pass to continue to be available for all Older People”.
We should judge our government by how it treats society’s most vulnerable. We hope the government demonstrates its concern by protecting Ireland’s older citizens in Budget 2010
concluded Ms. Hayes.
Sylvia Meehan – People of the year
The Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament is thrilled and delighted that its President, Sylvia Meehan, has been presented with a prestigious “People of the Year” award. Sylvia was presented with the award by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland for giving a voice to those who might otherwise be forgotten and for her skill and tenacity in asserting the rights of older people.
The Parliament’s President is a vociferous campaigner for older people and has been a champion of equal rights in Ireland for decades
said Máiréad Hayes, CEO of the Parliament, the country’s largest representative organisation of older people.
Sylvia has never stopped campaigning and came to the fore yet again last year when she led our campaign against the abolition of the universal entitlement to the medical card for over 70s
Older people have become more confident and I am thrilled that this confidence is expressing itself
said Sylvia at the time of the protest, which culminated with 20,000 older people gathering at Leinster House.
Sylvia has contributed to the National Oversight Committee and served on the board of the Council for Aging & Older People and has served as the Irish representative on the executive of AGE – the European Older Peoples Platform as well as the Government’s Task Force on Active Citizenship.
Sylvia will chair the ISCP’s meeting on “Communicating Europe” on Friday 18 September in EU House on Dawson Street in Dublin.