Age Action is urging all older people to make their voices heard in the run up to the June 5 elections.

Voters aged over-65 currently account for 17% of the electorate. Based on past voting trends, they are also the most likely to vote on polling day. “This makes older people a force to be reckoned with,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said. “Candidates are calling to your house looking for something valuable – your vote. Make sure you do not give it away without spelling out to them the issues that are important for you.”

Age Action has teamed up with the MiCandidate website to provide voters with details of their candidates in the local and European elections. Further details are available at www.ageaction.ie

The older people’s charity believes matters of concern to older voters will consist of a mixture of local and national issues.

“While local councillors themselves cannot do much about national issues many are members of political parties and they must be told to bring your messages back to party headquarters,” Mr Timmins said.

“Issues like the over-70s medical card, the loss of the Christmas bonus for pensioners, and the suspension of funding for the Scheme of Community Supports for Older People are all national issues which continue to anger older people. Older voters in the two Dublin Dáil by-election constituencies have a special responsibility to highlight these national issues with candidates, on behalf of the rest of the older people in Ireland.”

Age Action is also urging older people to address local issues with local candidates as these are matters which they can tackle if elected. “Local authorities ought to be developing better services for our ageing society,” Mr Timmins said. “Age Action cannot tell you what the local issues in your area, but they may include security in terms of public lighting, footpaths, adequate public seating and public toilets, buildings and meeting places to enable older people meet, housing, and environment. In short, we are looking to build age-friendly communities.”

Age Action is also urging members to lobby politicians to implement the Government’s commitment to drawing up and implementing a national positive ageing strategy. As members of the Older and Bolder campaign, Age Action is urging older people to raise this on the doorsteps when the candidates come calling.

“The Government’s commitment to the strategy in the programme for government in 2007 was a major victory for older people,” Mr Timmins said. “We must ensure that that promise is now turned into reality.”

European election candidates must also be urged to address the needs of the EU’s ageing population and to prioritise policies in this area. Age Action is part of AGE, the European Older People’s Platform, which is urging older people to take up this issue with candidates. Further information is available from their website http://www.age-platform.org/EN/spip.php?rubrique92

FOR MEDIA QUERIES  CONTACT EAMON TIMMINS, HEAD OF ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS, AGE ACTION, 01-4756989 OR 087-9682449.