Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 October 2021
255. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he plans to update the National Positive Aging Strategy given that it has not been updated in over eight years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51511/21]
View answerThe National Positive Ageing Strategy is a high level document outlining Ireland’s vision for ageing and older people and the national goals and objectives required to promote positive ageing. It is an over-arching cross-departmental policy that has influenced policy and service delivery across Government since inception.
Significant developments have been, and continue to be, made in promoting positive ageing since the Strategy launched in 2013. In relation to the Programme for Government commitment to an age friendly Ireland progress is being made on commitments to increase home and community supports and housing options for older people. In particular, Sláintecare which envisages older people being supported to live well in their own homes for as long as possible sets out an overarching vision for care in our community and enabling older people to live longer at home. New projects such as the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme, the establishment of a Statutory Home Support Scheme, Integrated Care Packages for Older People (ICPOP) are just some examples of the progress we are making across government, agencies and with stakeholders in the community to increase the positive experience of ageing. The establishment of Age Friendly Ireland as a shared service for older people nationally is a further significant achievement.
Since the National Positive Ageing Strategy my Department has developed a significant body of research to inform an evidence based approach to policy making for older people in partnership with the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and the research initiative set up on foot of the Positive Ageing Strategy i.e. HaPAI.
Across Government we will continue to prioritise improvements for older people in Ireland by focusing on the effective implementation and delivery of outcomes envisaged in Sláintecare, Housing For All and other focused strategies such as the National Dementia Strategy.
