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 4815208

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Speaker. When I was co-opted as an MLA nearly 11 years ago, I felt that the most important thing for me to do was get out into my constituency so that I could get to know the people whom I was representing and, equally, they could get to know me. What I was struck by in East Londonderry was the number of really active older people and the community groups that facilitate them. That has driven my interest as an MLA in advocating for older people on various issues, so much so that I established the all-party group on ageing and older people 10 years ago today. We will celebrate that milestone anniversary. I am driven by that because it is important that we look after the people who looked after us. I declare an interest in that, as should everyone. Hopefully, we will all have the honour of being able to grow old some day. I expect all of us to have access to and be entitled to our public services as we grow old with dignity. The crux of the debate is not necessarily how our public services directly impact on older people; the debate is about the strategy that the Northern Ireland Executive must take to protect all public services in Northern Ireland. Regrettably, we see public services around us crumbling due to the fact that we have never engaged in forward planning. Look at our GP services. If we had planned in that area 10 years ago, maybe people would be able to get an appointment. As Members from around the Chamber have indicated, the issue really impacts on all aspects of our public services. I recall what the Justice Minister said yesterday about prison populations. One of the reasons for the growth of our prison population is that prisoners are living longer. It is not just about health and social care or community transport; it is about how everyone is affected. It is about supply and demand: as we are living longer, there will be more of us, so our services really need to adapt accordingly. I will not reiterate too much the comments made by other Members, but I will try to pick up on their points. It is very much about health and social care, and we see that acutely. About 18 months ago, I found myself in Antrim Area Hospital's accident and emergency department, and what really struck me was the number of older people sitting around me who were weeping in pain. Their conditions were probably as critical as those of the people who arrived after them and those of the people who arrived before them: they were just in the queue like everybody else. Equally, as well as older people weeping, children were crying at 2.00 am. I cannot emphasise enough that the debate is not just about the older people but about everyone in Northern Ireland. If we do not get a grip on the fact that we have an ageing population and on the demand that that will place on our public services, we will see that more and more. I am really pleased that all parties have indicated that they will support the motion, but it includes a specific ask about what should be included in the Programme for Government. I appreciate that the junior Minister indicated that over one third of the consultation responses were from people over 55, and I am not surprised by that as older people are one of the most engaged and active groups in our society. However, I hope that that is not all and that we see a tangible outcome. To an extent, I would be content if we even paid lip service to that, because, at least, then we would be thinking about the future and about Northern Ireland. It is not enough to say that it is for all ages, because what I am raising is specifically and critically about age and our ageing population. The junior Ministers should feel free to intervene on that if the First Ministers have given them the authority to do so. Will we see a specific outcome-based ask in the Programme for Government so that we can start planning for this now? I am mindful that the mandate is due to end in two years and that what we can do in that time is limited. I appreciate that the Executive have already set out their policies and legislation, but let us get the wheels in motion so that we can start moving forward. The issue will not end with the current Government; it is an issue that we need to take forward with consistency. I appreciate Robbie Butler's comments and those of other Members who acknowledged that it is not just about older people but about our wider system and services. Given that, because of d'Hondt, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to lead on a motion — it is not the first time that I have spoken on a motion; I hope that Members realise that — I did not want to look at it as one specific issue but at how we, as a Government and as an Assembly, can do better in taking our services forward. Every week, we hear about how this place is not performing. If we looked at it strategically, however, we could probably fix a lot of the problems that we see in Northern Ireland. That would not happen overnight — of course it will not — but it would happen in 10 years. I have been here for 11 years, and, sadly, all the problems that we are discussing now are the ones that we discussed 11 years ago, and they have got worse. That is why we need to start having those conversations now. I appreciate Alliance's commitment to consider the older population. If everybody supports the motion, including the parties who have Members at the Executive table, we should get an outcome. We should get the issue into the Programme for Government and start moving forward. I do not want this to be a debate that is recorded with that being all we do with it. As the Member who led the debate, I will follow up the actions that the Assembly is likely to support. The matter may not be in the specific remit of those who sit at the Executive table, but, as discussed, it is a cross-departmental issue and everyone at the table has a voice, so I encourage them to take it forward. Anything that Members can do to encourage their Ministers to do that would be really helpful. Ms McLaughlin and the junior Minister referred to age discrimination legislation. There has been a conversation about that for a number of years. We have had promises and commitments to take it forward, but it has not happened. As the independent Member, I hope to make legislation happen, subject to the Speaker's say-so. It is critical, given that we are the only region in the UK and Ireland not to have that legislation in place. There is a model that works.

I appreciate that. I agree wholeheartedly. If people ask me why this place does not have the ability to do anything, I say that it is because we have never had the consistency to take things forward. If this is about improvement and change for everyone in Northern Ireland, we have to have that consistency. I will digress a little to say that devolution is the only show in town — there is nothing else — so we either have this place or we have nothing. We saw that during the six years of no government in Northern Ireland, and people need to wake up to that reality. I will come back to age discrimination legislation. That is where we, as MLAs, really have power. We are often told how useless we are, but every one of us has the ability to write legislation and take forward things that will improve the lives of people in Northern Ireland. This is one way in which I want to do that, and I am really keen to work with the Executive Office on it, because I recognise that a lot of what I propose is very much the work that began with Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness. We will have to look at other ways of doing it, and, indeed, we have an opportunity to look at how legislation has worked or perhaps not worked in other jurisdictions and to improve it for Northern Ireland. However, if the legislation does nothing more than recognise in statute the value of older people, is that not enough? Hopefully, however, it will do more than that. There were other, similar comments. It is about how things directly affect our older people. We heard that from Nicola Brogan, Harry Harvey and Nuala McAllister. Nuala talked to the community and voluntary groups, which is key. I outlined at the start of the debate how my interest in the issue was driven by community and voluntary groups, and we need to listen to them. They are the people who ultimately empower us to stand here and do all the good things that we can in the Chamber. That is critical. The Opposition, from official to unofficial, also talked about community groups on the ground. In u3a, we have a similar group on the north coast. Again, those people very much drive my motivation on this.

I agree with Colin McGrath: this cannot just be a strategy that sits on a shelf. It is the only thing we can get right now: there is nothing else. I appreciate that the junior Minister says that we have a strategy and it is likely to continue. However, it is not mentioned at all in the Programme for Government. That is a failure of responsibility, a failure to recognise the people whom we represent. "All ages" does not cut it: it is not enough, particularly because of the impact of that age group in itself.

Thank you.

1,696 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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