DONEGAL County Council
has begun a series of consultation meetings with the
aim of listening to the voices of older people in
the county.
The local authority through its Donegal Age County
Programme Alliance wants to hear seniors' thoughts
on what it is like to be an older person living
here.
After the consultation process, a plan will be
developed to try and make the county a more age
friendly place to live.
Alliance chair and county manager Seamus Neely said
the organisation would spend the next number of
months "engaging with and listening to older people
across the county". "We will then know what matters
to the older members of our communities on issues
such as public transport, access to quality
healthcare, opportunities to socialise and stay
connected, and public spaces where they can walk and
talk and feel safe," said Mr Neely.
Donegal is one of many counties taking part in the
Age Friendly Counties Programme. The programme aims
to see older people in Ireland enjoying a good
quality of life while participating fully in their
communities.
Mayor of Donegal, Cllr Ian McGarvey added: “It is
wonderful to see the older people in County Donegal
will have a say in how their county is planned for
in the future. It is so important that we feel that
we can continue to make a contribution to our
community, no matter what age we are.” As part of
the process, the new alliance is preparing a
programme of consultation with older persons groups
located throughout the county.
It will be going out to meet groups in their own
areas over the next few months. |