People aged over 55 will get free access to Dublin City Council's leisure centres and swimming pools as well as discounts in restaurants and shops under a new scheme announced yesterday.
The "passport for leisure" discount card costs €5 and comes with a directory of businesses offering discounts on golf, pitch-and-putt, travel, hair and beauty, theatre, music and cultural events.
It was launched by the Dublin Lord Mayor, Cllr Vincent Jackson as part of his focus on improving life for older people in Dublin. "I felt if we could make some meaningful difference to the lives of older persons during the year it would be a nice legacy for me to leave behind," he said.
A similar discount card was launched in Birmingham and attracted 40,000 older people. Cllr Jackson said the target for the Dublin scheme was 7,000 people in the first year. "But I wouldn't be surprised if it will exceed that," he said.
The application forms are being sent to the council's local offices this week. The council has set aside some €65,000 to fund the scheme in the year. The scheme will be reviewed after three years.
The discount card was launched at a "Celebrating Ageing: Grasping Opportunity" conference in Dublin yesterday.
Cllr Jackson said the passport for leisure would also provide the council with a database of older people interested in availing of activities so it would help in the provision of other services.
"We are not trying to identify growing old as being a period of sickness. The ageing process is something that can be looked forward to, and it opens up many new opportunities in life," Cllr Jackson said.
The conference also heard that Dublin City Council had set up an Office for Ageing and Older People as part of its ageing policy. Each of its 13 local area offices will now have a specific person working with older people.
"I can't emphasise how important that is," Cllr Jackson said. "A lot of older persons go to our regional offices or civic centres in the city and they find it very hard to get the information they require. This will be like a one-stop-shop for those people."
The council is putting computers and printers in 12 of its sheltered housing complexes. The computers will have internet access and will be fitted with web cameras. "Internet and e-mail training will be provided with the aim of supporting connections between older people and the larger community," he said.
The council is drawing up a database of volunteers so that older people get the opportunity to use their skills, whether in the home or moving to retirement. June will be designated the month for "embracing ageing".
