Cllr. Sean McCarthy has stated that the respect of young doctors for the aged wasn't what it should be in many of Ireland's acute hospitals.

"Nobody should be written off health-wise to decay or die because they are old", he said.

Cllr. McCarthy made his remarks at Monday night's meeting of Cashel Town Council during a discussion on the possibility of developing Cashel as a Positive Ageing Town.

Cashel has a higher proportion of older people than any other town in South Tipperary, Ann Ryan, representing the County Council's Community and Enterprise section, told the meeting.

In 2009 Age Action Ireland had nine Positive Ageing Towns nationally and this would increase to fifteen in 2010.

If Cashel was to be included they would need to establish a committee comprising those who worked with older people, and that committee would need the support of the Town Council and Chamber of Commerce, she stated.

There was major concern in the town regarding services for the elderly, said Cllr. Maribel Wood. In 1995, under the terms of the hospital agreement, the HSE had agreed to provide a day care centre for the elderly but this had never materialised.

There was also a rumour that only 4% of the beds in St. Patrick's Hospital would be left for long-term patients, and people were asking what would happen with the other patients.

They needed answers but it was very difficult to get HSE officials to attend meetings, said Cllr. Wood.

Mayor Eddie Bennett said he was sure they would all support the efforts to develop Cashel as a Positive Ageing Town.

This was a very important subject and they had to continue to promote the perception that Ireland was a good place in which to grow old, said Cllr. Sean McCarthy. In the future it would become normal for people to reach the age of 100.

He also complimented the work of active retirement groups.

Cllr. McCarthy said that attitudes were different in other countries, where people in their 80s were looking for a new job and even getting friskier sexually.

The meeting heard that Spafield Resource Centre in Cashel will hold a meeting of potentially interested groups and individuals in developing Cashel as a Positive Ageing Town between 10.30am and 12 noon next Thursday, 11th.