The call by the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) for urgent action to raise awareness of the needs of older workers has been warmly welcomed by Age Action Ireland.
"In our phone-in last October older people and the discrimination faced by them at work, and in getting work, was top of the list. It is astonishing that in work, as among other areas of Irish life, older people are either being ignored or are being positively discriminated against," Age Action's spokesman said.
"People over 65 are not covered by the Employment Equality Act, are not allowed work as guides for Duchas, are excluded from the Back to Education Scheme. From where comes this daft idea that at a certain age older people are not relevant to the work arena?" He welcomed NESF's report, Labour Market Issues for Older Workers.