Press release
Reference Group for the Commission on Care for Older People holds its first meeting
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Today, the Reference Group for the Commission on Care for Older People is holding its inaugural meeting. Catherine McGuigan, Chair of the Reference Group is welcoming over 70 Reference Group members to this important event.
The Reference Group acts as a focal point for the Commission on Care for Older People’s wider engagement with stakeholders, providing a communication pathway between the Commission and wider society.
Membership of the Reference Group is drawn from over 55 non-governmental and civil society organisations, as well as other key stakeholders working in the area, including those with lived experience.
The focus of today’s meeting is discussion of “Home Support” and “Other community-based health and social care supports for older people.”
Guest speakers at the event included Professor Alan Barrett, Chairman of the Commission on Care for Older People and Mary Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons.
Catherine McGuigan said:
"I am absolutely delighted with the overwhelmingly positive response from all those invited to become members of the Reference Group. It is a wonderful opportunity to discuss and contribute to the Commission’s consideration of key aspects of supporting older people to live as well and as long as possible at home and in their communities."
Professor Barrett said:
"I was delighted to participate in this inaugural meeting of the Reference Group. The group discussions were certainly robust and informative. The opportunity to hear first-hand voices of older people and key leaders from across civil, public, private, community and voluntary sectors has been invaluable. The breadth and depth of views expressed here today will, I am sure, considerably enhance the Commission’s deliberations."
Minister Butler said:
"Each day, tremendous work is done across the country to support older people to age well in their own communities, with much of it delivered through our NGO and community partners.. Their participation in the Reference Group will ensure that the voice and choice of older people from across society will be to the fore of the work of the Commission."
Acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on older people, the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future (2020) commits to the establishment of ‘a commission to examine care and supports for older people’.
On 3 October 2023, Government approved the proposal, brought forward by the Minister for Health and the Minister for Mental Health and Older People, for the establishment of a Commission on Care for Older People.
The independent Commission, chaired by Professor Alan Barrett, was formally established on 21 March 2024 to examine the provision of health and social care services, and supports for older people and make recommendations to the government for their strategic development.
Engagement and collaboration with stakeholders (inclusive of representatives from across Government and civil society) is a central component of the work of the Commission.
The Terms of Reference for the Reference Group were adopted on 20 May during the third meeting of the Commission on Care for Older People.
The Commission is an independent commission, and its work will be supported by a Secretariat from the Department of Health.
Subsequently, a cross-departmental group will be established under the auspices of the Commission to consider whether the supports for positive ageing across the life-course are fit-for-purpose and to develop a costed implementation plan for options to optimise these supports.