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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON HER VISIT TO DUN MHUIRE DAY CARE CENTRE AND SHELTERED HOUSING

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON HER VISIT TO DUN MHUIRE DAY CARE CENTRE AND SHELTERED HOUSING ON TUESDAY 8TH DECEMBER, 1998

I am delighted to be here with you today and I would like to thank Ms Maura Halloran and Canon Stephen Ludden for inviting me to attend. I am always glad of the opportunity to meet with members of groups involved in providing for the needs of dependent older people in the community. It is especially wonderful to visit Dun Mhuire to see the day care centre and housing scheme which caters for those living in the most isolated parts of Cong, Clonbur, Cornamona, Maam and Leenane. North Connemara Social Services, North Connemara Voluntary Housing Association and all members of this community have worked since 1985 to provide for the needs of older people in this area. Such hard work and effort is a tribute to the community spirit and generosity that exists in Clonbur.

- At the turn of the century it would have been unusual to have a life expectancy of more than 65 years. Today most of us can expect to live for 75 years or more. This increase in life expectancy has been one of the great achievements of western societies in the twentieth century. As the standard of living for the young and middle aged in this county has risen, the quality of life of successive generations of older people is improving. With advances in living standards and health services, illness and dependency in more and more cases do not feature until the last few years of a person's life. Modern medicine, and perhaps even more important, social policies, political will and community enterprise have changed and developed societies, so that more and more people are living more fulfilling and independent lives.

- It is only relatively recently that society has begun to consider the implications of this phenomenon. Statistics show that there are over 60 million people in the European Community who are aged 60 and over. This implies that one in five of the total European population is an older citizen, with the rate set to rise to one in four by the year 2000. And it is expected that there will be a significant increase in the number of older people in Ireland well into the new Millennium, increasing from just under 400,000 at present to 693,500 in 2026 with the greatest percentage rise in the number of people over 80 years. So there will obviously be a need to change our attitudes to ageing and older people. While we never see ourselves as old, some day old age becomes a fact of life for each of us.

- There is so much to be said about the positive contribution of older people in Irish life - in politics, literature, music, amateur drama, voluntary work, community development and family life. It is not always appreciated that over 80 per cent of older people are healthy and active and leading independent lives. But there inevitably comes a time when people need some degree of care. I am glad to see that the cornerstone of policy in the care of older people is care in the community, with the overall aim being to keep people living in their own homes for as long as possible. The statutory bodies who do their best need to be supported by local voluntary effort. We are blessed in this country with the efforts and talents of a wide range of voluntary organisations – and the North Connemara Social Services group and the North Connemara Voluntary Housing Association are perfect examples of such groups – working in partnership with the Western Health Board. Your members who give so generously of their valuable time are to be warmly congratulated and I hope that the great Irish tradition of informal care will continue long into the future.

- One of the basic needs of older people, especially in a rural area like this, is contact with others. Day Care Centres perform an extremely important function in this regard as they enable people to meet with their peers and provide them with a focus for social interaction. They also enable older people to avail of practical facilities such as a meals service, laundry, hair-dressing and library facilities.

- Another fundamental need for all of us - particularly for the more vulnerable members of our society - is to feel safe and secure in our own homes, with access to facilities in times of emergency or crisis. This housing development located as it is, adjacent to the Day Care and Health Centre - with easy access to the local Church and shops - has greatly improved the living conditions for all the residents.

- All that remains is for me to wish you all continued success in your endeavours. I am aware that there are plans for the development of a short term respite facility here in Clonbur. I wish you well with this important extensions to the service that you provide.