Written Answers. - European Year of the Elderly.
Paul Bradford
Ceist:
22
Mr. Bradford
asked the
Minister for Health
the initiatives, if any, his Department undertook as a contribution to the 1993 European Year of the Elderly; and the initiatives, if any, he will be implementing in this area over the remainder of 1993.
John Connor
Ceist:
170
Mr. Connor
asked the
Minister for Health
the initiatives, if any, his Department undertook as a contribution to the 1993 European Year of the Elderly; and the initiatives, if any, he will be implementing in this area over the remainder of 1993.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 170 together.
As Deputies know the European Community designated this year to honour its older citizens, to focus on the challenges and opportunities of an ageing Europe and to reinforce links between the 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. During this year the Community and the member states have tried to heighten the awareness of the position of the elderly and of the challenges which an ageing population holds for society and community policies.
To prepare for and manage the year in this country, my Department established a co-ordinating committee in July 1992, chaired by Mr. Larry Twomey, former chairperson of the National Council for the Elderly. The national co-ordinating committee is representative of the social partners of the voluntary bodies representing or providing services to the elderly, and of the statutory bodies with responsibilities for services for the elderly.
I was pleased to make £440,000 available to the co-ordinating committee to fund its programme of promotion and sponsorship of activities to celebrate the year. The committee approved grants to 170 groups and organisations, mainly voluntary, which organised suitable events to celebrate the aim and spirit of the year. These projects were in addition to the estimated 5,000 events organised as part of the year in villages, towns and cities throughout the country. The year stimulated cross border exchanges which helped to strengthen links between older people in both parts of this island and between organisations working on their behalf. These links will, I believe, be one of the lasting benefits of the year.
This important year is also being marked by improvements in the health services which will benefit the elderly, namely, the implementation of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, on 1 September 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 2,145 cataract operations. The estimate for my Department in 1994 includes a sum of £5 million to continue the implementation of the Nursing Home legislation.
I was pleased to be present at the ceremony in Brussels last Wednesday to mark the end of the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations. At that ceremony a Declaration of Principles, agreed by all the member states, was published. The declaration commits the member states to recognise in their legislation and policies, the full citizenship of the elderly, in freedom and with equal rights and obligations, in all areas of the life of the community. In the Declaration, the Commission commits itself to making medium-term proposals in 1994 for increased Community support for member state policies which continue to contribute towards achieving the objectives of the European Year. The Government has endorsed the principles in the Declaration and looks forward to the medium-term proposals of the Commission in 1994 for continued action in favour of older people.
I intend to publish in the near future a health charter for the elderly. I have invited the National Council for the Elderly to advise me on the contents of this charter and am awaiting their response.
