Guest Speaker Seminar

Date: Wednesday, 19th November, 2008
Time: 6.30pm
Topic: 'Older People and Poverty'

Speaker: Prof Chris Whelan, programme coordinator of Social Inclusion research at the ESRI and Sheila Hayes from the Citizens Information Board.

Location: Lecture Theatre

Outline: Research has shown that a disproportionate number of Irish older people live in poverty. While increases in the State pensions have relieved the pressure on older people to some extent, rising prices may be eroding some of the benefits. This seminar is aimed at both older people and policy analysts who wish to gain an insight into the consequences of poverty for older people as well as how to maximise their incomes from claiming welfare entitlements. Prof Chris Whelan of the ESRI will first give a broad overview on the various causes of, as well as the impact on, poverty on the lives of older people in Ireland. Sheila Hayes from the Citizens Information Board will then make a presentation on the various welfare entitlements available for older people living in Ireland.

Biographical information for Chris Whelan

Christopher T. Whelan is programme coordinator of Social Inclusion research, and joint programme coordinator (with Helen Russell) of Social Cohesion & Quality of Life research at the ESRI. 

His current research interests include the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality, measurement and monitoring of poverty and social exclusion, quality of life and social mobility and inequality of opportunity. He is involved in a range of Irish and European projects involving analysis of the EU Survey of Income and Living Conditions, the European Community Household Panel study and the European Quality of Life Survey.

Professor Whelan has contributed on a wide range of topics to a variety of leading of international academic journals. He is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and Academy nominee to the RIA Social Sciences Committee. He is former Chairperson of the Standing Committee for the Social Sciences of the European Science Foundation and current Chair of the Governing Council of the EU Economic Change, Quality of Life and Social Cohesion (EQUALSOC) Network of Excellence and a member of the Social Inclusion Consultative Group of the Office for Social Inclusion. He is currently an associate editor of the European Sociological Review and a member of the Council of Economic and Social Studies.