Sir, - The chairperson of the National Council on Ageing and Older People, Dr Michael Loftus (July 21st) suggests that in a time of plenty and in an era of population ageing, in addition to funding pensions the equally important issue of how to finance long-term health care needs to be addressed.
The Irish Association of Older People supports the views expressed by Dr Loftus, primarily in the context of research already carried out by the council and also in the broader context of choices in independent living for older people.
As its contribution to the Programme for the UN International Year of Older Persons 1999 - Towards A Society For All Ages - and with support from the National Steering Committee, the Irish Association of Older People is organising a conference at Milltown Park Conference Centre, Dublin 6, on Wednesday, September 29th. The Conference will be addressed by President McAleese and it will consider the urgency, in the light of demographic changes in our population, of immediate action to implement government policy in relation to the provisions of core community care services for older people, to provide an analysis of funding provision and, most importantly, to agree pointers to where we should go from here to ensure appropriate responses to future needs.
The IAOP welcomes support of like-minded local and national groups so that together we may progress the Older Citizen Agenda and at this conference identify "Choices in Independent Living for Older People in the 21st Century." - Yours, etc.,
Brendan McLoughlin, Chairman, Irish Association of Older People, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.