Sir, – The election for our president, in our young and independent country, should not be a young versus old competition. Age is, however, clearly emerging as a covert issue. We should not let this be the case. The discussion that needs to occur, as an integral and overt part of the campaign, is around the relevance that age and older people have in our society.
Ageing is not a new challenge. We all do it until the day we die. We need a society that is age friendly, age accommodating and age attuned. We also need a culture that continues to demonstrate dignity, respect and compassion for older people in our country.
Between 2015 and 2030, the population of those aged 65 years and over in Ireland is projected to increase by 60 per cent while the “older old” population (ie those aged over 80) is set to rise by 90 per cent. By 2050, the global population of older people is projected to more than double in size. Public health initiatives have been doing an increasingly good job at delaying the onset of many diseases and actively treating others. This success has allowed life expectancy increase.
A baby born in 1900 could have been expected to live until they were 50, while a baby born today has a 50 per cent chance of reaching the age of 100. Modern Ireland has evolved into a forward-thinking society, leading the world in certain areas. We must now ensure that our online-dominated tech-world is accessible to not just the young. Many banking and insurance transactions now require computer literacy while access to our health and social care supports occurs only by conquering multiple complex medical and legal forms. The practicalities of daily living are not currently easy to negotiate.
We must become better advocates for the requirements of all of us as we age. How we value and support our older people will determine the health and wellbeing of our fastest growing demographic. We need to recognise the important role older people have played and continue in our lives and society today. We must strive to become a country that leads the world in becoming age-attuned, age-accommodating, age-friendly, and make Ireland a country we are all happy and proud to grow old in.
Opting to compete for a new role in your 70s is something to be applauded and can help to change our perceptions and understanding for the better around ageing. – Yours, etc,
Dr DIARMUID O’SHEA,
President,
Irish Gerontological Society ,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – My somewhat cynical attitude towards the forthcoming presidential election is that If we re-elect Michael D Higgins, he will not be eligible to collect his presidential pension unless and until he completes his next seven-year term. That’s seven years of pension payments saved by the State. If he does survive his second term, his prospective period of drawing this pension would be relatively short, given the national average life expectancy.
On the other hand, if we elect one of the relatively young “Dragons” or “Comely Maidens” offering themselves for election, we could well be paying substantially more in pension payments over the coming years than is absolutely necessary. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN CARROLL,
Carrigaline,
Co Cork.