Vol. 503 No. 2
177 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, the Government has to mark the Year of the Elderly; and if he will circulate leisure centres serving bodies such as the Civil Service, Guinness, Aer Lingus and so on to encourage them to facilitate old age pensioners with appropriate concessions for those availing of leisure centre facilities. [9490/99]
The United Nations International Year of Older Persons 1999 is being co-ordinated in this country by a national steering committee which is based at 58 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2. I have provided adequate funding for the organisation of the year. A calendar of events is available from the national steering committee.
Although the matter of concessions is not one of the objectives of the year, I consider that the idea has some merit. Therefore, I will ask the director of the national steering committee to contact a range of organisations, including leisure centres, advocating the granting of concessions to older people in 1999 and perhaps beyond.
