A number of initiatives for older people suggested by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Mr Ivor Callely, have been welcomed by the chief executive of Age Action Ireland, Mr Robin Webster.
The four proposals from Mr Callely cover housing, hospital waiting lists, application procedures for pensions and tax incentives for older people who wish to continue working.
The Minister, addressing a board meeting of Age Action Ireland in Dublin , said that Dublin City Council had agreed to set up a pilot scheme to positively discriminate in favour of elderly people in housing matters.
Mr Callely said that money was not necessarily needed to improve the lives of older people. He questioned, for example, why it was necessary for older people to attend at out-patient hospital clinics at 10 a.m., often hours before they could be seen.
The Minister also said that tax incentives should be considered to encourage older people to continue working after pension age, even if they did so for only a few hours each week.