More than 122,000 older people in Ireland are currently living in poverty, according to ALONE, which says the Government’s newly launched Roadmap for Social Inclusion does not go far enough to address the scale of hardship and loneliness facing older people across the country.
The national organisation, which supports older people to age at home and within their communities, says the updated five-year strategy fails to include specific targets aimed at reducing poverty among older people or those living alone. ALONE warns that without measurable goals, the challenges facing vulnerable older people risk remaining overlooked.
Figures highlighted by the organisation show that around 30% of older people living alone are experiencing poverty, compared to 15% of older people overall, with many struggling with rising living costs, poor health, housing difficulties and social isolation. In 2025 alone, ALONE supports more than 46,500 older people nationwide.
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The charity also raises concerns over the lack of a dedicated national action plan on loneliness, despite Ireland having the highest rate of loneliness in the EU. ALONE says loneliness, poverty and poor health are deeply interconnected and require a coordinated Government response.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, says: “Poverty, loneliness and poor health are deeply connected, and that is what we are seeing every day in our work. Older people are not dealing with one issue in isolation, but a combination of challenges that impact their ability to live well at home.”
He adds: “This roadmap is an important step, but without clear targets and a coordinated approach, particularly on loneliness, it does not fully reflect the scale of what older people are facing.”
While criticising gaps in the strategy, ALONE welcomes commitments around expanding supports to help older people remain living independently in their homes and communities, as well as measures relating to transport and digital literacy which could improve connection and access to services if implemented effectively.
The organisation is now calling on the Government to strengthen the roadmap by introducing clear poverty reduction targets for older people, progressing pension benchmarking measures and delivering a coordinated national response to loneliness.
