Older people are now "more freewheeling in their voting intentions" and that could prove crucial in the General Election, according to former political advisor Gerard Howlin.
Petula Martyn's report on RTÉ's Morning Ireland dealt with the 'Grey Vote' and looked into the matters that are important to older voters.
Mr Howlin told her that senior voters "have a capacity to be very politically powerful", referencing the 2008 demonstration organised by the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament that saw a reported 15,000 people - young and old - protest outside Leinster House against budget cuts which, the protesters felt, targeted pensioners.
Mr Howlin, now a public affairs consultant, said: "Everyone knew older voters were extremely influential but what became apparent on that day was that, if messed with, our very nice 'mammies and daddies' will snap back."
CSO statistics show that 88% of senior citizens voted in the last election.
Mr Howlin pointed out that "just because someone used to vote Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and they are in their 70s or 80s, I wouldn't assume that that's absolutely where they're going to be the next time.
"Older people are more freewheeling in their voting intentions now than they would have been previously."
John Moran of Age Action Ireland said that older people made sacrifices during austerity and it is now time to redress the balance.
Mr Moran said: "In the October budget there was the first substantial move towards restoring cuts and trying to move in the right direction and we have to keep that momentum going in the years to come.
"One of the things we are looking for from political parties is the acknowledgement that older people made sacrifices during the austerity budgets to try and ensure we could balance the books in this country.
"It's time now, as we continue to climb towards a better economic climate, that older people - whether it's in income or in health - have their needs looked after."
Listen to Petula Martyn's report in full here...
