The Voice of Older People in the General Election

We are all gearing up now towards a general election and within the ISCP we believe  all older people need to send a strong message to our politicians and hopeful candidates. There is a strong need to listen to and hear the voice of older people. We all need to ensure this voice is incorporated into policy that impacts on ageing well.

Older people are active and fully engaged within Irish society although the reality of an ageing demographic is often referred to a ‘a burden on the state’. This is more often than not referring to the financial costs of state pension, housing and the impact of health-related costs. This gives no acknowledgement to the reality of volunteering older people undertake within our communities. This includes an ongoing regular daily/weekly commitment of hours to much needed services. It does not recognise the unpaid minding of much-loved grandchildren to allow our families to afford mortgages and or rent costs. It does not acknowledge the returned ‘child’ to the family home and his/her family as they cannot afford rents while saving for a house or worse, cannot get a mortgage.

We hear all too often of the cost of the State Pension but never the reality of how quickly that money recirculates back into the local community. The state pension covers our costs of living, so by & large, all money received goes straight back out:

Heating, electricity, car tax and insurance and shopping on both food and clothes. The state pension is redistributed back into the local and national economy. We also need to bear in mind that all of the above carry a ‘tax at source’ return for the government. While the State Pension is not taxed ALL of the above items are.

We are asking you to be clear when politicians knock at your door or shake hands with you in the shopping areas in your town, that you use that time to have the voice of older people heard.

We are asking you to go visit your local TD in his clinic and talk to them about the needs of older people BUT also to remind them of the contributions we make to society. This contribution is based on a lifetime ethos of working and contributing to society and does not change as we get older.