Senior Citizens Forum in Yellowbatter

Issued : Tuesday 6 August, 2013

Labour Party Councillor for Drogheda Pio Smith and Ged Nash TD hosted the first Senior Citizens Forum in Community Hall Yellowbatter to address the many national and local issues affecting older persons in the community.

The Forum’s attendance was close to fifty as participants debated an array of issues ranging from community policing ,carers and active ageing.

 At the forum local organisations such as Drogheda and District Support 4 Older Citizens and the Drogheda Senior Citizens Group gave a presentation outlining the information and services provided by both groups to the Senior Citizens of the town. Cllr. Pio Smith stated “ The work both of these groups carry out in the community is priceless. I would go so far as to say that the two organisations actually save lives in Drogheda. It is essential that information is provided in a clear manner to people about the services that are provided by both the state and the  voluntary sector to senior citizens”

Also in attendance was the Garda community policing unit,with Sgt.Donal McGiveren providing a detailed account of the work carried out by the unit in local areas around the town. Many participants were anxious to know how the Garda could help them in relation to anti-social behaviour and making the community safer for older people.

Mary Deery from Louth County Council and Dr.Rodd Bond from Dundalk Institute of Technology outlined how both institutions were leading the way at a European level on active ageing and independent living for older people. Dr. Bond said “That simply increasing a person’s life by a number of years is not enough- the aim is to increase the quality of those extra years”.

 Mary Deery pointed out that “Louth is an age friendly county and the aim of the initiative is to ensure that all of the resources available to the community, social, psychological, technological and healthcare are combined to maintain and preserve the health of senior citizens in the community for as long a time as possible”.

Deputy Nash stated: “Cllr. Pio Smith and I were both extremely pleased to see such a great attendance at the first Senior Citizens Forum in Yellowbatter on thursday. A lively debate took place with excellent contributions from residents in the local area.

“It was quite clear from the meeting that many residents are concerned with issues such as the  waste collection services, public transport,facilities for senior citizens and community policing, and it is up to us now as public representatives to address these issues.

“Both Pio and I are very conscious of the fact that in many instances people only really contact us when they have a specific problem and otherwise would never dream of picking up the phone and calling their local representative to discuss issues.”

“ According to Cllr. Pio Smith these Forums will seek to change that. We are determined to keep up a continuous dialogue with local residents and to ensure that if constituents are concerned about any particular national or local matter that we are there and ready to act on their behalf.