Taking stock: Is Government keeping its commitments to older people?” 

Alliance of Age Sector NGOs calls for an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People, a State led campaign to counteract ageism, and a resourced national action plan to address loneliness and social isolation. 

Dublin, 22 September 2026; The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs, representing eight leading older persons organisations*, is calling on Government to appoint an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People, and to relaunch a refreshed National Positive Ageing Strategy with a strong implementation and monitoring plan and a ring-fenced budget. 

According to ‘Taking stock: Is Government keeping its commitments to older people?’, a review launched today by the Alliance, implementation of policy relevant to our growing older adult population continues to be patchy or inconsistent. 

This year’s Report and Score Card is the third edition in the series for the Alliance of Age Sector NGO’s. The review sets out the extensive range of policy commitments relevant to our ageing population as described in key Government publications and provides a summary of the progress made in the various areas. 

The Alliance introduced the Report and Score Card as a mechanism to review progress on key policy commitments to older people, given the absence of a State supported approach to monitoring or implementing the now fourteen-year-old National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013). 

This important review: 

• Provides a ‘deep dive’ analysis of 17 thematic areas relevant to the lives of older people and an ageing population. 

• Focuses in on 27 commitments made in respect of older people and rates the Government on its efforts in each of these areas. 

• Illustrates how many of the commitments set out as part of the relevant policy frameworks have yet to be meaningfully advanced or benefited from coordinated implementation. 

• Identifies practical, evidence-based steps to support more effective policy implementation for Ireland’s over-65 population, including the growing number of people living with dementia and family carers, at a time when the over-65 population has increased by 35% over the past decade, more than three times the rate of growth in the overall population and faster than elsewhere in Europe (Department of Health/CSO). 

• Reinforces the rationale for the establishment of an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People. 

Some key points on Government’s performance in this area to date: 

• Credit must be given where improvements have been made. Score Card 2026 includes three ‘B’ grades, awarded to recognise welcome progress on Programme for Government 2025 policy commitments relating to the built environment and safety and security; both of which affect confidence on the part of the older adult and opportunities for social participation. 

• Of the 27 policy commitments that were considered eight ‘D’ grades, two ‘E’ grades and two ‘F’ grades were awarded, for among other issues, failure to benchmark State pension payments; failure to develop a plan aimed at tackling loneliness and isolation among older people, continued failure to develop an implementation plan so as to translate the 2013 National Positive Ageing Strategy into action on the ground; very limited evidence of any Government awareness campaigns to combat ageism, and lack of progress in developing an adequate supply of suitable homes that meet the specific requirements of older people and in particular an alternative housing stock that would permit older persons to trade down while retaining their social connections in the communities where they have built their lives. 

• Several ‘C’ and ‘C -’ grades were also awarded across the 27 shortlisted areas. Together, this shows a lack of significant progress and strong implementation across a range of long-standing policy commitments relevant to positive ageing. 

The big ticket promises which were heard throughout the late 2024 election cycle and the Government’s first eighteen months in office, such as ‘’ensuring that pensions remain robust, and allowances reflect the realities of older people’s lives’’ (Fianna Fáil policy to support older generation, November 2024) or the commitments to appoint a ‘’Commissioner for Positive Ageing’’ and ‘’Implement a nationwide ‘Exercise is Medicine’ programme’’ (Fine Gael’s Guarantee for Older People, November 2024) have yet to materialise. 

Implementation continues to be somewhat inconsistent with much, it would appear, being deferred to the work of the Commission on Care for Older People and, in particular, the role of a yet to be established cross-departmental group. 

This is concerning as we remember the 2013 Positive Ageing Strategy had committed ‘’to produce inter-sectoral plans to promote positive ageing’’ and ‘’coordinate specific initiatives in this regard through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy’’. Neither of these commitments were ever progressed. 

The case, in particular, for the establishment of an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People would appear to be only growing stronger. An Independent Commissioner would be a real asset for Ireland and indeed the Government in supporting the required cross-departmental action. 

As the fastest growing demographic of the 21st century, our older adult population must be centrally and explicitly catered for as part of any ambitions and priorities of Government, now and in the future. 

Seán Moynihan, ALONE CEO on behalf of the Alliance said: ‘’Much of the sought-after policy is in place but we need to get better at implementation, monitoring, and particularly so in respect of those many issues relevant to older people and an ageing population that go beyond the specific boundaries of an individual Government Department. Such an extensive set of boundary spanning issues can only be effectively addressed through a single body operating across a range of departments. An Independent Commissioner would be a key ‘asset’ for Government, helping its departments and agencies to integrate ageing issues into all relevant policy fields and to effect strong implementation and good value for money”. 

Áine Brady, Alliance member and Third Age CEO, said: ‘’We see through our programmes and services that loneliness and ageism can combine to create severe mental, physical, and social damage for older adults, often reinforcing one another in a harmful cycle. We call on Government to implement the long-awaited Action Plan to tackle loneliness and isolation particularly among older people, and the awareness campaigns, first promised in 2013, to combat ageism’’. 

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: 

“Policies which secure positive ageing are essential if we are to achieve a fairer and more sustainable future for our people and our communities. As a philanthropic hub committed to advancing equality and strengthening communities, we support the call for a cross-Government approach to deliver positive ageing for all. As a strategic partner we commend the Alliance for identifying the need for a refreshed national strategy with a dedicated campaign to combat ageism as important first steps.”