We are being asked this week to "Say No To Ageism", to champion the truism that people are entitled to respect no matter what their age. Indeed, from birth until old age there should be no bar to any citizen accessing health, accommodation, education and employment. Age barriers are artificial. They emerge from a time when old age was indubitably associated with frailty. They are a product of the days when trade unions demanded pensions for what was seen then as the winter of life.
Ageism in employment is a critical issue, as noted this week by the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed. Niall Crowley of the Equality Authority, one of "Say No to Ageism" week's sponsors, puts it well: ageism is not just a cultural phenomenon - it is a set of ideas and perspectives that find expression in the corporate policy and practice of organisations in every sector.
The utilisation of employment equality and equal status law demonstrates that older people's rights are still threatened. Age is the third-highest basis for allegations of discrimination under the Equal Status Act; in the workplace it is the largest area being processed under the Employment Equality Acts. It is not clear why this is so. Mature workers are increasingly showing their worth in a fluid workforce. Employers cite their loyalty, excellent time-keeping and work ethic. They can adapt to new technologies.
The Government is committed to creating an ombudsman for older people. Such a post is crucial. In what can be vulnerable years, the elderly need a robust champion. It will be many years before the public forgets the Leas Cross nursing home debacle and the illegal and outrageous pension deductions for nursing home care.
But there are some positives: legislation is being developed to provide clear statutory provisions for entitlement to health and social services. Case officers to combat elder abuse have been appointed. There is awareness of the need to protect people with impaired capacity, and of the difficulties faced by gardaí in getting access to homes where abuse of an older person is suspected. A national centre for elder abuse is also pending.
These issues will be the responsibility of the new Minister of State for older people, Máire Hoctor. Her role is a vital one, requiring leadership, a grasp of legal issues, and enthusiasm. For too long the State has floundered while the human rights of children, the elderly and the dying have been left to groups such as Barnardo's, Age Action Ireland and the Irish Hospice Foundation. Ms Hoctor's challenge is to ameliorate this.