Irish Ageing Related Websites

Active Retirement Ireland
http://www.activeirl.ie/
Active Retirement Ireland is the largest national network of local and community based voluntary groups involving older people in Ireland. Active Retirement Ireland believes that getting older is not a barrier to continuing to enjoy life, maintaining dignity and independence, making new friendships, acquiring new skills, sharing experiences and contributing to the community.

Age Action Ireland
http://www.ageaction.ie/
Age Action Ireland is the national independent organisation on ageing and older people. It acts as a network of organisations and individuals including older people and carers of older people. It is a development agency promoting better policies and services for older people in an ageing society.

Age & Opportunity
www.olderinireland.ie
Age & Opportunity is the Irish national organisation working to promote greater participation by older people in society.  It works in a broad range of areas from the arts to physical activity, from challenging ageism to promoting greater empowerment by older people.

Arthritis Ireland
www.arthritisireland.ie
Arthritis Ireland is a national members organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with arthritis. We are a progressive, vibrant organisation with a strong vision to Inform, Enable and Empower people with arthritis and those who care for them.

Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland
www.cardi.ie
CARDI is a not for profit organisation developed by leaders from the ageing field across Ireland (North and South) including age focused researchers, academics, statutory, voluntary and community sector representatives with support from The Atlantic Philanthropies. It is overseen by a Steering Group and hosted by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

Central Statistics Office 
www.cso.ie 
Since its establishment as a specialist national statistical agency in 1949 the CSO has pursued the same mandate, as set out in the Statistics Act 1993:"The collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State".It is also responsible for co-ordinating official statistics of other public authorities and for developing the statistical potential of administrative records.

Combat Poverty
www.cpa.ie
Combat Poverty is a State advisory agency developing and promoting evidence-based proposals and measures to combat poverty in Ireland. We were established under the Combat Poverty Agency Act 1986, which sets out our four general functions: policy advice, project support and innovation, research, and public education.

Department of Gerontology - Adelaide and Meath Hospital
http://indigo.ie/~arhc/
Our core service is to provide rapid interdisciplinary assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of older people on a secondary and tertiary referral basis. In our in-patient unit, over two-thirds of our admissions are from the Accident and Emergency Department (ER) and over 85% return home.

Department of Health and Children
www.dohc.ie
The Department of Health and Children's statutory role is to support the Minister in the formulation and evaluation of policies for the health services.It also has a role in the strategic planning of health services. This is carried out in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, voluntary service providers, Government Departments and other interested parties.

Economic Social Research Centre
www.esri.ie
The ESRI produces high-quality research that contributes to understanding economic and social change and that informs public policymaking and civil society in Ireland and throughout the European Union.

Equality Authority
www.equality.ie
The Equality Authority seeks to achieve positive change in the situation and experience of those groups and individuals experiencing inequality by stimulating and supporting a commitment to equality.

Health Information and Quality Authority
www.healthreform.ie
The establishment of the HIQA represents an important step in the continued development of a high quality, safe and effective health care system which will provide a better service for patients. The objective and functions of HIQA will be set out in primary legislation intended to be published during 2006. The HIQA will promote delivery of health and personal social services based on practices that evidence has shown produce high quality, effective and efficient results.

Intel - Social Science Research
www.intel.ie
Research continues at Intel to create fundamental advances in sensor technology and to make it possible to use chips to diagnose disease and improve people’s health.

Irish Cancer Society
www.cancer.ie
The Irish Cancer Society, is the national charity dedicated to preventing cancer, saving lives from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer through patient care, research and education.

Irish Centre for Social Gerontology
www.icsg.ie
The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG) is a multidisciplinary research centre on ageing at NUI Galway. ICSG focuses on research, education and training in the field of social gerontology in Ireland and internationally. There is a specific research focus on rural gerontology, the economics of ageing and on technology and ageing. ICSG was established jointly by the University and through a generous donation from Atlantic Philanthropies.

Irish Hospice Foundation
www.hospice-foundation.ie
The Irish Hospice Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes the hospice philosophy and supports the development of hospice/palliative care.

Irish Gerontological Society
www.gerontology.ie
One of the oldest gerontology societies in the world, the IGS has been in existence since 1951 and seeks to develop expertise in the science of ageing.
The Society aims to develop a broad portfolio of ageing research in Ireland, and the Executive Committee membership includes representatives of social, psychological and healthcare aspects of ageing.

Irish Senior Citizens Parliament
http://iscp.wordpress.com/about/
Recognising the need for a strong voice for older people at national level the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament was founded and held its first Parliament in 1994.The Parliament has 380 affiliated organisations with a total membership of 95,000. The Parliament is non-party political non-sectarian and non-profit making. It is an autonomous organisation concerned with promoting the interests of retired and older people people.

Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing (MIRA)
http://www.stjames.ie/EducationResearch/MercersInstituteforResearchonAgeingMIRA/
The Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing (MIRA) was founded in 1987. It was felt that the establishment of a centre of excellence for the care, study and rehabilitation of elderly patients would be in keeping with the original wishes of Mary Mercer when she founded Mercer's Hospital. This new Institute would enable the Mercer name to live on in the tradition of service and science for which Mercer's Hospital had been famous since it's foundation in 1734. MIRA is now well established as a research unit for illnesses affecting the elderly.

National Council on Ageing and Older People
www.ncaop.ie
The National Council on Ageing and Older People was established by the Minister for Health on the 19th March 1997. The new Council was established as a statutory body, with its own independent legal and administrative status. The terms of reference of the new Council included a strategic role which extended its work from pure research into the realms of policy development. In addition, other tasks were specified including liaison work with other agencies; the provision of information to other agencies and to the public; the provision of advice to the Minister for Health and Children and other ministers; and a direct involvement in and the promotion of a better understanding of ageing and older people in Ireland.

National Economic and Social Council
www.nesc.ie
The National Economic and Social Council was established in 1973. The function of the Council is to analyse and report to the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) on strategic issues relating to the efficient development of the economy and the achievement of social justice and the development of a strategic framework for the conduct of relations and negotiation of agreements between the government and the social partners. The Council is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach and contains representatives of trade unions, employers, farmers' organisations, NGOs, key government departments and independent experts.  

National Economic and Social Forum
www.nesf.ie
The mission of the National Economic and Social Forum is to: (i) provide advice to the Government on policies to achieve greater equality and social inclusion by analysing, monitoring and evaluating relevant programmes and policies identified in the context of social partnership arrangements; and (ii) to facilitate public consultation on policy matters referred to it by the Government from time to time.

Nursing Homes Ireland
www.nhi.ie
Nursing Homes Ireland is the representative organisation for the private and voluntary nursing homes sector. This sector, and the care our members provide, are key parts of the Irish health service.

Older Women's Network
www.ownireland.ie
OWN Ireland is a national network linking individuals and groups of women aged 55+. It provides a forum for older women to meet together to share their experiences and discuss issues of concern.

Our Lady's Hospice
www.olh.ie
Our Lady's Hospice, founded in 1879 by the Sisters of Charity, strives through a team approach and in an atmosphere of loving care to promote wholeness of body, mind and spirit.

Pobal
www.pobal.ie
Pobal's mission is to promote social inclusion, reconciliation and equality through integrated social and economic development within communities.  Pobal is a not-for-profit company with charitable status that manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and The EU.

SHARE Project
www.share-project.org
The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a multidisciplinary and cross-national panel database of micro data on health, socio-economic status and social and family networks of more than 30,000 individuals aged 50 or over.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland
www.alzheimer.ie
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is the leading dementia specific service provider in Ireland. The Society was founded in 1982 by a small group of people who were caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia. Today, it is a national voluntary organisation with an extensive national network of branches, regional offices and services that aims to provide people with all forms of dementia, their families and carers with the necessary support to maximise their quality of life.

The Pension Board
www.pensionsboard.ie
The Pensions Board is a statutory body set up under the Pensions Act, 1990. It regulates occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts in Ireland as part of our statutory role to monitor and supervise operation of the Pensions Act. It also advises the Minister for Social and Family Affairs on pension matters generally

Third Age
http://www.thirdagefoundation.ie/
In 1988 the Summerhill Active Retirement Group was established in response to the lack of facilities available to many members of the older community. This was the brainchild of Mary Nally, who from her first-hand experience of nursing older people at St. Joseph's Hospital in Trim, Co. Meath, was well aware of the negative health implications of lack of activities and isolation on older people. An approach to the older people in the village was met with great enthusiasm and support.

TILDA
www.tilda.ie
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) was launched by Minister for Health Mary Harney in November 2006 and will provide a study of a
representative cohort of up to 10,000 Irish people over the age of 50 years charting their health, social and economic circumstances over a 10-year period.

Trinity Consortium on Ageing
http://www.tcd.ie/research/ageingconsortium/index.php
The Trinity Consortium on Ageing (TCA) is a consortium of the College’s research centres/institutes, Schools, and individuals. It exists to promote research and teaching in ageing, to develop and sustain a comprehensive research agenda on ageing, and to broaden the interest of the College and wider community in ageing through a seminar series and other initiatives. The Consortium also fulfils a strategic role in relation to promoting awareness of ageing issues and maintaining relations with relevant external stakeholders.

Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament
http://iscp.wordpress.com/
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament is a National Organisation of Older People. The Parliament is organised on a non-sectarian / non-political basis.

Senior Help Line
http://www.seniorhelpline.ie/ 

Senior Help Line is a confidential listening service for older people by older people for the price of a local call anywhere in Ireland.

UCD Centre for Disability Studies 
http://www.ucd.ie/include/
The Centre aims to promote the inclusion and independence of people with disabilities through research, teaching and service to the wider community. It incorporates the Centre for the Study of Developmental Disabilities and programmes offered in Rehabilitation Studies. A group of Advisors represents advocates, family members and professionals.