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Friday 25 March 2011
 The very first County Armagh Pensioners Parliament, as part of the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament, took place in Armagh City Hotel yesterday with over 60 older people from the county in attendance. The event, which was opened by Mayor of Armagh, Councillor Jim Speers, is the fourth of seven ‘local parliaments’ organised across Northern Ireland during March and April.
Organised by Age Sector Platform, the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament is the first of its kind here, and aims to ensure that older people’s views from every county in Northern Ireland are represented.
At the Armagh parliament, older people from the county discussed and debated the issues that were of importance to them, with an expert panel on hand to provide advice and information on any complex points raised. Issues such as health, community safety and transport were discussed; alongside worries about keeping warm in winter and having enough money for a decent quality of life. The expert panel included Mary Curran from Citizens Advice in Armagh, John Doyle from Armagh City and District Council, Wendy Walker from the PSNI, and Roisin Toner, Gerard Rocks and Nuala Gorman from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
Nixon Armstrong from County Armagh who is a member of Age Sector Platform commented: “Today has marked the beginning of a unique process. Instead of telling pensioners what they should be worried about, we are actively encouraging them to tell us about the problems they face. This truly is a ‘bottom up’ approach. Today’s audience interaction, through debate and voting, has been a real triumph and we hope the rest of the local parliaments will be as successful as the County Armagh parliament."
Opening the event, Councillor Speers said: “I was delighted to be invited to open proceedings today and I commend Age Sector Platform for organising this event. I truly believe today will help ensure the voice of older people in County Armagh is heard. I am encouraged to hear that this is not the end of this process. In June this year, delegates from this event will join older people from across Northern Ireland in attending the overall 2-day Pensioners Parliament, where the priorities for older people across the province will be decided.”
For more information on the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament, please visit
www.pensionersparliament.org
To view photographs from the County Armagh Pensioners Parliament click HERE |
