Harris Addresses Older People’s Council

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Latest press release from Simon Harris TD, issued on Monday, November 12th 2018…

Wicklow TD, Minister Simon Harris this week addressed the National Convention of OlderPeople’s Councils in Druids Glen Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy.

Speaking at the convention, Minister Harris said, “I was delighted to be here today at the National Convention of Older People’s Councils. As a Wicklow TD as well as Minister for Health, I am particularly pleased to be speaking to be speaking at such a significant conference being held in our county.”

“The National Convention of Older People’s Councils is a really important gathering for many reasons. We are living for longer now than ever before and thankfully the signs are that this trend will continue into the future. Ageing well is something that we should both celebrate and embrace. Older people have acquired experience and skill sets across their lifetimes which are of great value to society. If we continue to remind ourselves and others of this, we will ensure that growing older is never seen as a burden on society.”

“It is through these experiences and our greater awareness of how to manage ageing that we are continuing to live longer lives. In Ireland it is predicted that there will be 1.4 million people aged 65 and over by 2041, with this age group making up 22 per cent of the total. Ageing, just like the need for good health, is not something that only happens when we get old. However, the challenges that we face can be magnified as we get older. This is where the Age Friendly Programme has found its home and older people have found their voice.

“It is of great importance that the views and voices of older people are heard when bringing about the changes that will have a direct impact on their quality of life. The work of the Age Friendly network throughout Ireland is vital in enhancing quality of life for older people. An age-friendly county is a place where more and more older people can stay living in their own homes and communities, can lead healthy and active lives, can get to where they want to go, when they want to go, and can be valued contributors in their communities. This is what we, as a society, should be striving for, for all of our older citizens.”

“The Age-Friendly Programme in Ireland is unique in that it has moved society away from talking about older people to talking with older people.I was delighted to be able to launch the County Wicklow Age Friendly Strategy 2017 to 2022 in May last year and I am really pleased to see the great progress being made, both through this strategy and nationally.

“I truly hope that Ireland will soon be the world’s first Age-Friendly country.”