Advisory Committee on the Equality Agenda of Older People

An Advisory Committee on the Equality Agenda for Older People has been set up under section 48 of the Employment Equality Act 1998. The objectives of the Committee are to define

• How most effectively to give visibility to equality issues for older people
• The equal opportunity agenda for older people
• What steps the Equality Authority might best take to promote equality for older people

The Rationale for the formation of this Advisory Committee is threefold:-

• The need to give content to the work of the Equality Authority in promoting equality for older people under existing Employment Equality legislation and Equal Status legislation;
• The need to contribute to a definition of the changes required in order to create a society that is accommodating of older people and benefits from their participation;
• The need to draw conclusions and lessons from the activities of the UN International Year for Older People and to contribute to setting a practical agenda for future action.

Committee members are drawn from a wide range of organisations and networks representing the interests of older people including the Equality Authority, the social partners, academic expertise, the National Council of Ageing and Older People, the Senior Citizens Parliament, Age and Opportunity, the Older Women’s Network and Age Action Ireland. The first meeting of the Committee was held on the 1/2/2000.

Further Information from the Equality Authority. Tel: (01) 4173333