Vol. 571 No. 1
938 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress which has been made to date in relation to the interdepartmental group on services for older people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20540/03]
On 15 July 2002, in my role as Minister of State with special responsibility for services for older people, I set up – and now chair – the interdepartmental group on the needs of older people. The group's brief was to examine, on an interdepartmental basis, a range of issues that affect the lives of older people and its goal is to bring a positive influence to bear on the various services provided to older people.
Issues warranting the particular attention of the group include housing matters and the various home improvement schemes, the information gathering process in relation to older people and the demands placed on them by that process, the consolidation and simplification of application forms, the security of the elderly and equality matters in relation to older people, incorporating the recommendations of the Equality Authority entitled Implementing Equality for Older People. Of the areas requiring immediate attention, housing alteration and improvement for older persons was identified as a priority. Arising from consideration by the group, a streamlined application system for grants is now in operation between the Northern Area Health Board and Dublin City Council. Other matters to be considered by the group include public transport, support to carers and financial incentives to encourage older people to continue working, by reviewing the various schemes currently in operation.
To date, in the first 14 months since its inception, the group has met 16 times and, along with my Department, the different Departments that have made contributions to its work include the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of Transport, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Valuable contributions and submissions have also been made by the Equality Authority, Comhairle, the national agency responsible for the provision of information; Dublin City Council, Longford County Council, the special housing aid scheme for the elderly task force, the Association of Health Boards in Ireland, the Senior Citizens Parliament, the health boards' chief executive officers, the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Northern Area Health Board, the North Western Health Board, the pensions office, Sligo, the National Council on Ageing and Older People, the Occupational Therapy Special Interest Group on Housing in Ireland and the National Federation of Pensioners Associations.
