Press Release

Age Action is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Investing in Volunteers quality standard. Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the national quality standard for good practice in volunteer management in Ireland.

The Investing in Volunteers standard assesses the organisation’s volunteering programme in six areas: vision for volunteering, planning for volunteers, volunteer inclusion, recruiting and welcoming volunteers, supporting volunteers, and valuing and developing volunteers. As part of the process, we completed a self-assessment of our volunteering programme, and with the assistance of an Investing in Volunteers mentor, we then put together an improvement plan. Over the course of the assessment forty of our volunteers were interviewed as well as staff and board members.

Every year, hundreds of people volunteer with Age Action in our Getting Started digital literacy programme, and with our Care and Repair DIY Service. We would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who bring their time, energy and skills to Age Action and are the reason that our volunteering programme is so impactful. Volunteers are at the heart of our programmes and services at Age Action and without our volunteers we couldn’t fulfil our mission to support older people to live full and independent lives. Achieving the Investing in Volunteers quality standard shows our commitment to providing an experience that reflects how much we value our volunteers.

Here’s what some of our Volunteers said as part of the process:

‘I’ve gained a lot of skills from volunteering.  It has built my confidence in teamworking and communication.’

‘It keeps me active being able to help people and improve their quality of life’. 

‘I think they’ve got it just right with the amount of information to keep you in touch.  The monthly newsletter let’s you see what’s going on”.

“Emails keep you informed.  They are very willing to take suggestions on board, they encourage you to give them feedback’.

Going through the Investing in Volunteers process has helped us to review and improve our volunteering programme in its entirety, from how we recruit, train and support volunteers, to how we communicate with and involve our volunteers at all levels of the organisation. As we celebrate achieving the standard, we reiterate our commitment to providing the best possible volunteering experience for our volunteers who make an incredible difference in the lives of those older people we serve.

(Thursday 23 March 2023)  Responding to the announcement that rental income will not be charged to the HSE under a revision to the Nursing Home Support (‘Fair Deal’) Scheme, Age Action said that older people will be put at risk of financial abuse because appropriate supports and safeguarding measures are not in place.

(Tuesday 21 February 2023) 

Age Action welcomes the government’s recognition that the current rate of the state pension is inadequate in the face of the increased cost of living and that many older people need additional supports.  

(31 January 2023) Age Action is reiterating their call for Government to set up a Commissioner for Ageing and Older persons to bring an appropriate level of insight, representation and transparency to policy on ageing and older persons, and to help prevent scandals such as the recent revelation of a secret state policy to deter older persons from taking cases to challenge being charged for nursing home care.

(07 December 2022) 

1 in 4 people experience age discrimination according to Age Action’s new poll Are We Ageist?, conducted by IrelandThinks, with people who were unemployed more than twice as likely to experience age discrimination as people with any other work status. ​

“Age Action is working to reframe how we think, feel and act towards older people and ageing in Ireland, so we commissioned a public poll to understand the degree to which we hold ageist opinions in our society. The public poll reveals that most people in Ireland hold some ageist opinion with people aged 18-34 more than two and a half times as likely to agree with three or more ageist opinions” explained Celine Clarke, Head of Advocacy and Public Affairs at Age Action.

(Monday 17 October 2022) 

In advance of the vote on the Social Welfare Bill 2022, Age Action is calling on TDs and Senators to raise the weekly rate of social welfare by at least €20 to lessen the impact of inflation and the likely rise of poverty and deprivation in 2023.

(Monday 26 September 2022) A nominal increase of €12 on the rate of the full contributory State Pension [from €253.30 to €265.30] would leave older persons €11.68 per week worse off than they were in terms of the spending power of the State Pension in January 2022 says Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation on ageing and older persons, reacting to reports that the Government intends to increase the State Pension by €12 in Budget 2023.

(Tuesday 20 Sept. 2022) Age Action today responded to Minister Humphreys’ announcement of reforms to the State Pension by sounding a warning that there is a risk that the measures will lead to inequalities and unfairness for large groups of workers.

(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.