Sylvia Meehan receives Lord Mayor’s Award

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello, hosted the 2010 Lord Mayor’s Awards in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dawson Street, on Wednesday 19th May.

Since its inauguration in 1989 these awards honour individuals and groups who have made a special contribution to Dublin and its citizens. The awards are an annual event and are Dublin City’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to people who make a difference.

Sylvia Meehan, Lord Mayor Emer Costello, Joe Costello TD

This years recipients were:

• Jimmy Magee
• Sylvia Meehan
• Paddy Doyle
• Janette Byrne
• Brother Kevin Crowley on behalf of the Capuchin Day Centre
• Paul Dolan on behalf of the East Wall Water Sports Group

Sylvia Meehan & Máiréad Hayes

Sylvia Meehan, former President of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, received an award for her campaigning work for women’s rights and her lifetime work as an advocate for older people and her work with the Senior Citizens Parliament. The award recognized Sylvia’s lifelong pursuit of equality for women and for empowering older people.

President Mary McAleese thanks the Senior Citizens Parliament

Uachtarán na hÉireann, Mary McAleese thanked the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament for its work at the Annual Parliament Meeting today.

Speaking about the Parliament, President McAleese said “it only exists because you care about the quality of life of our senior citizens and care enough to get involved, get organised and insist on being heard … The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament is a stellar example of older people working for older people and for Irish society, infusing it with their vitality, vision and distilled wisdom.”

Of Sylvia Meehan, President McAleese said that she “is a classic example of the surging energy and potential of Ireland’s seniors and it was great to see her recognised in 2009 when she was presented with the ‘People of the Year Award’.

She said that Ireland’s older People had “faced little else over a lifetime but a struggle against tough and implacable odds. You remember many different Irelands in which lives were constrained and even wasted by poverty, lack of access to education, the drain of emigration, the recurring misery of conflict”.

“We are delighted that the President has taken time from her busy schedule to come to our Annual Parliament and meet representatives of Ireland’s Older People” said the Parliament’s CEO, Máiréad Hayes. “President McAleese’s knows all about the Parliament’s work and Sylvia Meehan’s determination and commitment to Older People and equal rights. The ISCP is honoured to have the President of Ireland with us to thank Sylvia Meehan for her tenure as President of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament.”

ISCP President Sylvia Meehan urged delegates to the Annual Parliament to continue to lift the barriers of ageism and discrimination.

The 14th Annual Parliament of the ISCP continues in the Liberty Hall Theatre & Conference Centre today (Friday 26 March) and tomorrow. The Annual Parliament provides the ISCP’s affiliated member organisations with an opportunity to promote the views of older people, to set policy for the Parliament and to elect officers for the coming year.

Among the concerns of Older People issues being discussed at the Annual Parliament will be pensions, medical cards, prescription charges, water charges and the withdrawal of the additional payment at Christmas.

President Mary McAleese to address Senior Citizens Parliament

The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese will address the Annual Parliament Meeting of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament on Friday 26th March at 15.30 pm. The Parliament are delighted that the President has taken time out from her busy schedule to attend at the Parliament Meeting and to address the delegates gathered there to welcome her.

The ISCP are only too well aware of the commitment of President McAleese to Older People and are delighted that she will address the meeting.

Senior citizens are aware of the position that Ireland faces at this time as a result of the downturn in the economy. They are concerned for themselves and for their children and grandchildren. It is truly a time for intergenerational solidarity something which President McAleese in her Presidency has been keen to encourage and nurture.

Delegates from all parts of Ireland will discus the issues which are important to them in their daily lives. Sylvia Meehan a long-time champion of equal rights, President of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and a winner of a “Rehab People of the Year” award 2009 will chair the Parliament Meeting.

The 14th Annual Parliament of the ISCP will take place in the Liberty Hall Theatre & Conference Centre from 2.00pm on Friday 26 March to 1.00pm Saturday 27 March 2010. The Annual Parliament provides the ISCP’s affiliated member organisations with an opportunity to promote the views of older people, to set policy for the Parliament and to elect officers for the coming year.

Among the issues to be discussed at the Annual Parliament will be pensions, medical cards, prescription charges, water charges and the withdrawal of the Additional payment at Christmas.

ISCP sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Chairs and CEOs of five of Ireland’s age sector NGOs came together on 2 October 2009 at the offices of The Atlantic Philanthropies in Dublin to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Atlantic seeks to increase the capacity of key organisations, including those made up of older adults, to advocate to protect government services for older adults.

The five organisations are Active Retirement Ireland, Age and Opportunity, The Carers Association, the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament and Senior Helpline. The five organisations committed themselves to working together initially on shared premises, collective purchasing and hiring of expertise and a funding initiative.

This  Collaboration Initiative process began in May 2009. The anticipated outcomes by 2012 are:

• greater cohesion among the five participating organisations, with regular communication and cooperation with other NGOs becoming a core part of each organisation’s “way of working”;
• shared premises in a number of towns around Ireland with increased visibility of the NGO ageing sector across the country;
• more professional and formalized organisational supports across all the participating NGOs; and
• demonstrated cost savings across a range of goods and services.

A formal review of implementation will be carried out and the scope for broadening and deepening the Collaboration Initiative will be explored.

 

ONE YEAR ON – WHAT FATE AWAITS OLDER PEOPLE IN BUDGET 2010?

On 22nd October it will be one year since thousands of Older People from the length and breadth of Ireland protested at Dáil Éireann against the withdrawal of the medical card for the over 70s. That protest, organized by the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament, was the result of an attempt by Government to break faith with Older People on an issue which they considered to be vital to their health and wellbeing.

On that day Sylvia Meehan, President of the Parliament and recent recipient of a prestigious People of the Year award, said that “research has shown that access to the medical card has led to a decline in serious illness amongst the over 70s. It is good value for everybody. It keeps us out of expensive hospital beds.”

Today Máiréad Hayes, the Parliament’s CEO stated: “In that show of strength Older People showed that they are not ready to sit quietly in the corner and await their fate. We were proud of all of them and of ourselves in that manifestation of solidarity, strength and camaraderie which was so evident that day.”

“We are conscious that we again face a difficult situation as we hear on a daily basis about the Budget which is about to be unleashed on us in December. The ground is being well prepared and, in turn, we in the Parliament hear on a daily basis from Older People living in fear of what is to come.”

The ISCP believes that Older People’s health & welfare needs to be moved to the top of the political agenda. “We expect in this Budget that the vulnerable – and especially Older People – will be protected. We have made our Pre-Budget Submission to Government and we expect them to deliver for Older People”

Continuing she said “Among the main points which we have stressed are:

• A commitment to protect the most vulnerable;
• An increase of €10 in the State Pension for Older People (see note below);
• The reinstatement of the Additional Payment at Christmas for pensioners (Christmas Bonus);
• Access to services as of right for all Older People and especially access to travel and the entitlement to the Travel Pass to continue to be available for all Older People”.

“We should judge our government by how it treats society’s most vulnerable. We hope the government demonstrates its concern by protecting Ireland’s older citizens in Budget 2010” concluded Ms. Hayes.

 

Historic event

In July this year Peter B Sands, Trustee of the ISCP was appointed Senator for A period of one month. Following which the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament held their monthly Executive Committee meeting in Leinster House.

OUTSIDE LEINSTER HOUSE

ISCP Executive Committee and Staff Members pictured outside Leinster House before their monthly meeting 17/07/2007 which was held in Dáil Éireann.

MEETING THE MINISTER Left to Right: Michael O'Hallora CEO. Máire Hoctor T.D., Minister for Older PeopleSenatorPeter B Sands, Sylvia Meehan ISCP

PRESENTATION FROM ISCP EXECUTIVE TO PETER TO MARK HIS APPOINTMENT AS SENATOR

 

PETER THANKS THE EXECUTIVE

MINISTER HOCTOR CONGRATULATES PETER

CEO WELCOMES EVERYONE TO LEINSTER HOUSE

LEAVING LEINSTER HOUSE