MARY ROBINSON AT THE CONCERT TO MARK THE CLOSE OF THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF OLDER PEOPLE
SUNDAY, 12 DECEMBER, 1993.
- The decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Community in June 1992 to designate 1993 as European Year of Older People and of Solidarity Between the Generations was indeed an enlightened one and has helped to focus attention on that special group within our society.
- There are more then 60 million people in the Community
(1 in 5 of the total population) aged 60 and the ratio is set to grow to 1 in 4 by the year 2000. Of the three and a half million people In Ireland in 1991, almost 395,000 were over 65 years of age. This figure represents 11.2 % of the entire population and the number of older people in the Irish population is expected to continue rising over the next 30 years.
- There is a growing appreciation that old age is no longer the automatic harbinger of illness or infirmity. With better health facilities and medicines and healthier lifestyles, the levels of disability among older people are declining and the quality of life is improving. More and more elderly people are leading active and stimulating lives and pursuing a wider range of interests than what they previously had thought possible.
- I congratulate the National Co-ordinating Committee on its outstanding achievement in organising a very comprehensive and effective public awareness campaign and in facilitating the holding of many events focused on the elderly during the year. The Committee, which was established by the Minister for Health, was responsible for co-ordinating Ireland's programme of special activities during the year and is representative of the social partners and the statutory and voluntary agencies caring for the elderly.
- One of the main consequences of this heightened awareness of the elderly is an appreciation of the contribution that so many of them, with the wisdom and experience of their years, continue to make in the community. As I mentioned previously, many elderly people are leading very active and fulfilled lives. They are involved in social clubs, in active retirement groups and in other community groups. Many of these groups have visited Åras an Uachtaráin as part of their regular outings to places of interest and, while I have not been able to personally meet every such group, I have been privileged to meet some of them. I have been particularly impressed by their range of interests and their zest for life. It is as if, having been released from many of the responsibilities that they bore previously, they are determined to enjoy life to its fullest and their enthusiasm is infectious.
- Another consequence of the focus that has been put on the older generation has been a greater appreciation of the special needs of the elderly. Despite the overall improvement in health among the aged, many still suffer from disease or disability. Some are lonely, others are insecure. All need care and/or support and, most importantly, to be assured that this care and support will be forthcoming in time of need. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the many voluntary and statutory organisations who are working in a wide variety of ways to help them, by attending to their physical needs and by offering companionship where appropriate.
- The attitude of the young and not so young is critically important. Older people need to have their pride and self esteem respected. They need to know that they are valued for themselves and the theme of Solidarity among the Generations is an important and timely one.
- I recently had the pleasure of presiding at a function which epitomises this concept of solidarity between the generations. Long before the concept was adopted as a formal theme the remarkable S.H.A.R.E. project was launched twenty three years ago in Cork by a group of young Cork students. Today S.H.A.R.E. has sixteen hundred students from 21 post primary schools and has provided accommodation for over 200 elderly people. What an example of solidarity between the generations and the power of a simple but fundamental conviction that, like everyone else, the elderly are entitled to decent
housing ?
- Tonight's impressive attendance from all parts of this island and from other countries in the Community shows the depth of the concern for the elderly that exists. I would like to pay tribute to all those who, throughout the year, have helped to make this year a special one for the older generation. This celebration is a fitting way to mark the fact that the Year of the Elderly is coming to an end but, of course, the Year itself will have been a success only if the new awareness of the elderly that it has fostered continues to inspire an ever more caring concern for the elderly.