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ALLIANCE OF TRADE UNIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES, HOUSING BODIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS ISSUE JOINT CALL FOR ‘DECISIVE BREAK WITH FAILED HOUSING POLICIES OF PAST’ IN BUDGET 2021

(11 October 2020)  State must intervene directly in ‘dysfunctional housing market’, says letter to Housing Minister

Age Action joined with trade unions, housing bodies, political parties, women’s organisations, students' unions and civil society groups to jointly call on Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to ensure Budget 2021 makes “a clear and decisive break” with the failed policies of the past and for the State to “intervene directly in our dysfunctional housing market.”

The joint call is made in a letter to Minister O’Brien from the Raise the Roof housing campaign ahead of Budget day, on October 13: 

Budget 2021 must lead to a just and fair recovery and address the social inequality that existed before Covid-19

(01 October) Age Action joined the network of 30 national community and voluntary organisations to call on the Government to put the values of Community, Participation and Decency at the heart of Budget 2021 and use it to redress ongoing inequalities in our society that Covid-19 had highlighted and reinforced.

Celebrating International Day of Older Persons 2020

Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?

The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) which falls on 1 October.

As we learn to live with, and recover from, the impact of COVID-19, we have an opportunity to address inequalities experienced by older people, value their role in society, and ensure that the diversity of their voices is heard, informing decisions that affect them.

Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing? Positive Ageing Week 2020

As we learn to live with, and recover from, the impact of COVID-19, we have an opportunity to address inequalities experienced by older people, value their role in society, and ensure that the diversity of their voices is heard, informing decisions that affect them. Although events and activities will take place in limited numbers or virtually due to social gathering restrictions, we are hopeful that people of all ages across Ireland will take this opportunity to reflect on these themes within their families, communities, and workplaces. 

Age Action Calls on the Minister for Health to urgently establish a Commission on Care Many questions remain unanswered for families of those who have died

Age Action has described the report of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel published today as underwhelming in its reforming zeal and has called on the Minister for Health to urgently establish a Commission on Care.  

 

Age Action is calling for a Digital Allowance to support the Digital Inclusion of Older People and a Study on the Cost of Ageing in Budget 2021

(30 July 2020) 

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation on ageing and older people is calling for Budget 2021 to include a digital allowance in the form of a €2.50 increase to the Telephone Support Allowance and a broadening of the eligibility criteria to support older people to access digital technology.

Paddy Connolly, CEO Age Action said ‘Digital exclusion is a reality for at least 33% of people over the age of 65 with the associated cost being one of the barriers to access for older people. We know that communication costs have increased during COVID-19 as people became more reliant on digital communications as a means of communicating with family, health professionals, arranging essential services and addressing social isolation.  In the context of an increasing reliance on telehealth measures and public health advice, Age Action urges the Government to increase the Telephone Support Allowance, introduced in June 2018 at a weekly rate of €2.50, to €5 and for a broadening of the eligibility criteria which is narrowly confined to those getting the Living Alone Allowance who are also eligible for the Fuel Allowance.’

Government services now actively prefer transactions to be digital under a “Digital First”approach, encouraging people to carry out their tax returns, and apply to r enew their driving licences and passports online. The Public Service ICT Strategy prioritises the digitisation of ‘the main existing citizen and business transactional services across Public Services’. There is an increasing reliance on digital channels to provide information by both the public and private sector which undermines people’s ability to access information which was very evident during the height of the pandemic. In a recent CSO survey of households of those over 60 and not online, the second greatest challenge to people who said they needed access to broadband, after lack of digital skills, was the perceived prohibitive cost.

‘Older people are being left behind because they do not have adequate access or skills to engage with digital services or participate in the digital economy; providing a digital allowance as well as investing in one-to-one digital literacy training that meets the needs of older people, is critical to bridging the digital divide. The new National Digital Skills Strategy committed to under the Programme for Government will have budgetary implications; Budget 2021 should begin to support older people to keep up’ Connolly said.

THE ALLIANCE OF AGE SECTOR NGOS CALLS FOR A PROGRAMME OF REMEMBRANCE AND REFLECTION AFTER COVID-19

(24 July) The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs - Active Retirement Ireland, Age Action, Age & Opportunity, ALONE, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Third Age and the Irish Hospice Foundation - welcomes and supports the call by the Irish Hospice Foundation for Government to put in place a process of remembrance and reflection  to recognise those who have died or have lost loved ones in recent months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This call from the Alliance demonstrates that there is broad national support for a series of events to support the loved ones of those who have died and to mark a period of national mourning.

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