Measures sought to combat poverty among the elderly

Age Action Ireland has called for fresh measures to tackle poverty among the elderly following the publication of a report showing one in four pensioners who are living alone are in homes without central heating.

The survey, by the Economic and Social Research Institute, found households in which there is one person aged 65 or over are most likely to have difficulty buying basic goods and services, such as a nutritious meal, adequate heating or new clothes.

Eight per cent of such households said they could not afford a meal with meat, 22 per cent said they could not afford presents once a year, and 58 per cent said they could not afford to run a car.

Mr Paul Murray, head of communications at Age Action Ireland, said it was not surprising that just 25 per cent of the same households had no central heating given that their houses were more likely to be longer built than any other age group.

Stressing the need for targeted anti-poverty measures, he said: "In a country with one of the lowest expenditures on social services in Europe, older people are at constant risk."

More than 40,000 households were surveyed for the report, the Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002, commissioned by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. As well as highlighting income disparities between older and young people, the report found local authority renters were most likely to experience problems related to financial strain.

It said: "They were more likely than other groups to lack household appliances or other goods and services because they could not afford them. One-third found housing costs a heavy burden; one-quarter had been in arrears in housing or utility bills; and one-fifth had 'great difficulty' in making ends meet."

The average monthly mortgage repayment for those who purchased in the last five years was €661, compared to €254 for those who purchased over 20 years ago.