Speaker Hosts Debate on Issues Affecting Older People

Alex Maskey MLA, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly will put issues affecting older people at the centre of a special sitting tomorrow (Friday 17 September) when he hosts a Pensioners’ Parliament - the first in a series of outreach events to take place in the coming months.

The event - organised in conjunction with AgeNI - will see older people from across Northern Ireland ask the Ministers of Health, Communities, The Executive Office, and Infrastructure questions on a range of important issues. 

Speaking before the event, the Speaker said, “I am delighted to be hosting this event, chairing the debate and enabling older people to ask questions directly to Ministers about issues that concern and affect them.  The Assembly makes laws for everyone here and it is essential that there are ways for all sections of our community to have their say and that we provide ways for them to affect change. 

I note from a recent report released by Age NI that by the year 2028, 20% of our population here will be aged over 65.  Ensuring the right policies and structures are in place to support an ageing population will be paramount to our older people living well for longer. 

Older people want to, and should be, involved in decisions that affect their life and I hope the Pensioners’ Parliament will be a way for them to do that. I look forward to meeting some of the speakers in the debate, hearing about their concerns, as well as how Ministers plan to address them.”

The event will be broadcast live and can be watched online via https://niassembly.tv at 2.00pm.

The Pensioners’ Parliament is one of a series of outreach events the Speaker will host this year. The Disability Parliament and the Parliament for Black and Ethnic Minorities will take place in the next few months.

ENDS

• The Age NI Report entitled ‘Lived Experience’ can be found here
• The event will take place in the Assembly Chamber in Parliament Buildings. Some speakers may be in attendance virtually.