Debate contribution: Ageing Population: Strategic Plan

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 25 February 2025.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

25 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Ageing Population: Strategic Plan

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4815107

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

This is my first opportunity in nearly 11 years as an independent MLA to lead private Member's business. I have chosen to focus on the issue of strategic planning for an ageing population. I believe that it is the most important and necessary action that this Government and Assembly can take for the future of all public services in Northern Ireland.

This issue is not just about those in later life. It affects us all right now. The growing demands of an ageing population are already placing significant strain on our health and social care services, our workforce and our communities. This is not a problem for the future; it is a crisis unfolding today. We see it daily in every accident and emergency department across Northern Ireland, with patients waiting not hours but days to receive treatment, many of whom are older people who are weeping in pain and going without food or medication until it is their turn. As elected representatives, what are we doing — or, rather, not doing — when our hospitals are no longer safe in 2025? Public services are crumbling and, if we do not strategically plan for our changing demographics, the situation will only deteriorate further over the next decade. If we fail to act now, we are consigning future generations to a system that will have inevitably collapsed due to unsustainable pressure. In 20 years, Northern Ireland has experienced a significant demographic shift. In 2001, the median age of our population was 34 years. By 2011, it had risen to 37, and in 2022, it reached 40. That trend reflects a growing proportion of older individuals in society, and, conversely, the percentage of children under 16 decreased from 24% in 2001 to 19% in 2021. Despite those clear demographic changes, our public services have not adapted accordingly. The current models are still largely based on a younger population profile that no longer reflects the reality of Northern Ireland today. Without strategic planning and reform, our public services will continue to face challenges in delivering effective support to our changing society. By 2040, one in four people here will be over 65, and, by 2070, for every two working-age people, there will be one pensioner. That shift presents challenges and opportunities, but what is certain is that failing to act now will lead to avoidable crises in healthcare, social care, housing, transport and the economy. The motion calls for a cross-departmental strategy to ensure that we meet the needs of our ageing society. It is a call for leadership, vision, responsibility and common sense and, critically, it is a call for action. Before I speak to the challenges, I first acknowledge the vital contribution of our older people. They are essential to our communities as volunteers, carers and mentors and are often the ones holding families together. They are the childcare that the Executive have promised but so far not provided. They are filling the gaping holes that the Northern Ireland Executive tend to overlook, yet they continue to work, pay taxes and contribute to our economy in significant ways. Recognising their contribution is not only fair but absolutely necessary. A society that plans well for ageing does not merely support its older citizens; it benefits all generations. A well-supported older population means a stronger economy, healthier communities and a more resilient public sector. Without strategic planning, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Right now, 80% of care packages in Northern Ireland are for older people, and the number of people living with dementia is set to treble in the next three decades, yet, instead of increasing capacity, we are seeing cuts to care home beds and domiciliary care services. Without proper planning, our health and social care system will simply not cope. This is not just about older people. More pressure on hospitals, GPs and emergency departments means longer waiting lists for everyone. If we do not plan for an ageing population, every patient, young and old, will feel the impact. They already are. As the UK's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, has highlighted, prevention and early intervention must be at the heart of ageing population planning. Our health system is too reactive and too busy fighting the fires. We need to invest in early detection, frailty prevention and long-term condition management. Supporting people to stay healthy for longer will ease the burden on acute hospital services. More older people need accessible, age-appropriate housing, yet demand for social housing is at an all-time high whilst supply remains critically low. Many older people live in homes that are no longer suitable, but they have no alternative. If we do not fix this, we will see more preventable falls, more hospital admissions and more pressure on care services. We already have labour shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, social care, retail and hospitality. An ageing population means fewer working-age people, and, without planning, our economy will struggle. We need policies that support older workers to stay in employment and encourage younger people into key industries. Many older people rely on public transport to stay independent, yet services, especially in rural areas, are simply not good enough. If we are serious about inclusion, we must make transport accessible, reliable and affordable for those who need it most. With fewer people of working age paying taxes and more individuals drawing pensions, there will be growing pressures on public finances. The Government need to act now to make sure that pension systems are sustainable and that older people are protected from financial hardship. More and more essential services are now moving online, but many older people feel left behind. We need proper digital literacy programmes and alternative ways for people to access services so that they do not fall through the cracks, which we have seen happen in Executive programmes. Loneliness is a major issue that the Assembly has talked about at length. We know that social exclusion leads to poor mental and physical health, yet too many older people feel cut off from their communities. We need better social infrastructure, places to meet, community groups and support networks to make sure that older people stay engaged and connected. It is deeply concerning for me, and it should be concerning for the Assembly, that the Northern Ireland Executive have failed to adequately consider the reality of our ageing population in their current draft Programme for Government. Despite clear evidence that that demographic change will impact on every aspect of public life, there is no recognition of that challenge in their current plans. The Executive's failure to address the issue is short-sighted and irresponsible. Without a strategic approach, public services are becoming overwhelmed, inequalities are worsening and economic stability is at risk. We need decisive leadership that acknowledges the long-term implications of an ageing society and that takes action to ensure that our public services, workforce and infrastructure are prepared. The Government need to prepare. The absence of an ageing population plan in the Programme for Government is a glaring omission that must be rectified in the final draft. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The evidence is clear: our population is ageing; our public services are under strain; and, without action, we face serious consequences. That is not just a warning — I hope that this debate is not just an echo chamber conversation — it is a call for action. We have an opportunity to shape the future, to build a society that values and supports people at every stage in their life and to do something useful in the Assembly to reflect the needs of the people outside this Building. A strategic, cross-departmental plan for ageing is not just necessary but essential for the sustainability of public services and the well-being of every citizen in Northern Ireland. We must invest, we must adapt and we must act now. I urge all Members to support the motion and to commit to securing a future where we can all age with dignity, security and confidence.

1,345 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:01 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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