Many older people in the Border counties are missing out on the dividends of the peace process and are living in isolated areas with poor transport links and dwindling services, a cross-border report has revealed.
The EU-funded Positive Ageing Cross Border Project involved cooperation between advocay groups Age action, in the south, and Age Concern Northern Ireland and consulted with older people's groups from the nine counties north and south of the border since January this year.
The project aims to improve the quality of life of all older people and family carers through a positive ageing campaign in the Border region with the delivery of its healthy ageing, education, advocacy and community development programmes.
Project development manager Barry O'Keeffe said the research found that many older people in the region had remained in their communities throughout the Troubles and had contributed strongly to the life of those regions.
Many were now being adversely affected by a decline in rural living, which was marked by the withdrawal of key services including post offices, banks, pharmacies, shops and transport services.
Mr O'Keeffe called on all political parties to unite and respond to the problem by expanding existing rural public transport service and taking a more integrated approach to rural transport issues.
"As we look to a new peaceful future on this island, older people in the region seem to have lost out on the peace dividend.
"Both Age Action and Age Concern Northern Ireland call on politicians on both sides of the Border to come together in collaborative cross border cooperation to seek solutions to these issues," he added.