A major study was launched on ageing today as it emerged half of girls currently being born are expected to live to 100 and beyond.
Over 10,000 people will participate in the extensive study on ageing over at least a decade as it examines a range of issues.
Rose Anne Kenny, Trinity College Dublin, Professor of Geriatric Medicine and principal investigator in the study, said the experience of ageing in Ireland was not a particularly happy one.
"We know that our older people are amongst the least healthy in Europe and that the proportion of older Irish people living in income poverty (40 per cent) is highest in the EU 15.
The percentage of older Irish people in receipt of community care supports is among the lowest in the OECD.
We need to know why this is and what needs to be done to develop the best models of care for our older citizens," she said.
Over 50 per cent of female children born today are expected to live to age 100 or beyond raising many issues for policy-makers including pensions and retirement age.
By 2030 one in four Irish people will be over 65 years of age - with the greatest increase among those over 80 years of age.
"We will be examining a very large cohort of people over the age of 55 upwards, over 10,000 people, to try and ascertain what current health, mental, financial and social status.
And following them through in the first instance a 10-year period to chart the changes that occur in those components," Ms Kenny said.
Irish Life has donated €4 million to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). It is expected to cost at least €10 million in total and additional funding will be sought from relevant public and philanthropic sources.
The TILDA study, which is being led by Trinity College, is a cross-institutional study which will provide a study of the lives of over 10,000 people charting their health, social and economic circumstances as they age over at least a 10-year period.
A pilot study will be starting early next year and the full study will begin in September 2007. Ms Kenny said the information would be invaluable to policy makers and practitioners in the areas of health, social care, transport and pensions.
The study will help ensure a comfortable living standard for people in old age, provide up to date information and contribute to research on new treatments for age-related diseases such as dementia, heart disease and stroke.