Ireland needs to be prepared for “the realities and challenges of an ageing population”, Alone’s chief executive has said.

Ireland is enduring a fall in fertility and marriage rates which means more people will have no adult children or spouse and will be more vulnerable to isolation as they age.

The charity founded by Dublin Fireman, Willie Bermingham, was set-up to help older people living alone. He acted after eight elderly people were found dead in their homes during a very cold spell that spanned a number of weeks in 1976.

In Ireland, the number of people aged 65 or over will double by roughly mid-century.

In 2024, almost 44,000 older people were supported by the organisation, the highest number in its history.

Mr Moynihan said it “is a testament to both the efforts of our Volunteers and staff, but also to an immense level of need that exists throughout Irish society. With an ageing population, that need is going to grow significantly in years to come.”