Ageing Issue Information Section
European Year For Active Ageing And Solidarity between Generations
Transcript from Question Time on May 14th with OFMDFM where Junior Minister Jonathan Bell MLA answered questions on the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations.
Mr Weir asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what action their Department is taking to progress the European year of active ageing and intergenerational solidarity.
Mr P Robinson: With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask my colleague junior Minister Jonathan Bell to answer that question.
Mr Bell: To progress the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, we are driving forward a range of measures, including a small grant scheme, proposals for legislation to help to tackle age discrimination, and, of course, the revised older people’s strategy. That will improve older people’s quality of life and help to tackle the inequalities that they face. We have committed £100,000 to a small grant scheme for projects to promote active ageing and solidarity between the generations. Our legislation and revised older people’s strategy will be progressed in the Delivering Social Change framework.
In the autumn, we will consult on our revised older people’s strategy. At the same time, we will consult on proposals for legislation to outlaw unfair discrimination on the grounds of age in the provision of goods, facilities and services. We will continue to take account of the views of the Commissioner for Older People and the older people’s advisory panel as we finalise our proposals. We are also taking their advice to ensure that our consultations are appropriately timed and targeted and are designed to facilitate the participation of ourolder people, who play such a valuable role in our society.
Third sector organisations, the Equality Commission, the Commissioner for Older People and the older people’s advisory panel are all involved in developing a programme of events that will showcase the principles of the year. Those will include an event to mark Older People’s Day in October. The calendar for those events is on the OFMDFM website. It will be regularly updated with information from our stakeholder organisations.
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