The Labour Party’s spokesperson for social solidarity, Marie-Louis Coleiro-Preca and the spokesperson for the elderly, Silvio Parnis, criticised the government for its policies on the elderly and said that the Labour Party’s proposals for the sector aimed to address the needs of all the elderly. They were speaking at a meeting for pensioners in Gzira.

Ms Coleiro-Preca said the government was neglecting the sector and the elderly had become just numbers. They had been denuded of their dignity and health policies were denying them a proper quality of life.

There were elderly persons who could not meet the costs of daily life and medicines they needed were scarce both at government pharmacies and on the private market. Statistics for 2005 had clearly shown that the elderly were the most vulnerable group.

Mr Parnis referred to plans the Labour Party had which aimed to make St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly the best in the country.

Local councils would be encouraged to establish a register of elderly persons in the community, the kartanzjan would be given more importance, day centres would be strengthened, and a pilot project of a night centre would be implemented.

Labour in government would see how they could introduce a rebate system for children of the elderly who paid so that their parents would reside in private or Church homes, on lines similar to the rebate paid to parents who sent their children to private schools. At the same time, Labour would be considering how to lower the fees the elderly paid for residing in government homes.