The statement by Minister for Health Mary Harney that she is considering the appointment of an Ombudsman for Older People will be widely lauded, particularly by the 11 per cent of the population over 65. For too long elderly people have been at the mercy of discriminatory laws and attitudes.
They have been shunned in the labour market, overcharged for car and travel insurance, and have had great difficulty in hiring cars. Even the BreastCheck programme discriminates against older women, one of the ugliest of the barriers facing older people as they seek to participate fully in Irish life.
Positive Ageing Week (which concludes today) was established as an annual event by Age Action Ireland, a campaigning and advocacy group which has brought ageing issues to the forefront of the political agenda. And at a more local level it has highlighted, through over 300 events in 22 counties, that older age can be a time of exuberant activity, fun and education.
An ecumenical service at Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral last Sunday also brought a spiritual, cross denominational dimension to Positive Ageing Week. It may have reminded church leaders that in older people they can have a core of loyal, active and caring adherents, that is sometimes discounted in the churches' search for young members.
In the rush for new ideas, vigour and fresh faces, the political parties, too, can be dismissive of the contribution older people, forgetting that they can bring to politics wisdom and discernment, and traditional values which, as recent events indicate, can be sadly lacking.
Dr Maurice Manning, president of the Human Rights Commission, has said that some of the worst abuses of human rights are perpetrated against older people. He was not exaggerating. The Leas Cross nursing home scandal, and the illegal charging of older people for public nursing home care, demonstrate yet again that elderly people need a champion, disinterested and statutory, to ensure their interests are protected.
Against that background, Ms Harney should proceed quickly to seek legal advice on whether Oireachtas privilege can be used as a mechanism to publish an independent report by Professor Des O'Neill on Leas Cross. Although enhanced nursing home inspection systems are now in place, the publication of this report is vital to ensure full public confidence in the nursing home system.
Positive Ageing Week has again highlighted these issues, bringing to the notice of all that older people are entitled to be judged on their characters, personalities and abilities, and on their entitlements as citizens. The date on their birth certificates is largely irrelevant.