Brendan McGahon
Question:65 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Health the initiatives he proposes to launch to mark the Year of the Older Person; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Year of the Older Person.
The Council of Ministers of the European Community in June 1992 designated 1993 as European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations. The year is the culmination of the Community's programme for the elderly which was adopted as a result of the EC's Social Charter. The main purpose of the year is to heighten society's awareness of the situation of older people, the challenges resulting from present and future demographic developments and the consequences of an ageing population for all Community policies.
The year, in Ireland, is being co-ordinated by a national co-ordinating committee, established by my Department, which is representative of the social partners and the statutory and voluntary agencies caring for the elderly. The committee is chaired by Mr. Larry Tuomey. The committee has adopted the following core themes for the year: (a) the Positive Contribution of Older People — with the sub-themes past, present and future contributions; (b) All Ages Together — with the sub-theme of young and old working and playing together and (c) Meeting the Challenges of Older Age — with the sub-themes of caring for dependent older people, isolation and loneliness and elimination of discrimination against older people.
I have made a sum of £400,000 available this year to the national co-ordinating committee to cover the operational costs of the year, a public awareness campaign and grants for events, projects and awards. The committee has approved grants to 170 groups and organisations, mostly voluntary, which are running suitable events to celebrate the aims and spirit of the year. These projects are in addition to hundreds of others which will go ahead independently. The Deputy will be pleased to learn that some joint activities with groups in Northern Ireland have been organised.
This important year is also being marked by improvements in the health services which will benefit the elderly, namely, the implementation in the immediate future of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 and the expansion of facilities for hip replacements, and cataract surgery as a result of the major action programme on hospital waiting lists. The action programme provides for an additional 1,117 hip replacement operations and 1,506 cataract operations.