Kildare Age Friendly Issues Public Invitation to an Advance Planning Open Day in Newbridge
Free event to take place from 10.30am - 4.30pm, Thursday 26th June 2025 at St. Conleth’s College, Newbridge
25th June 2025: Kildare County Council’s Age Friendly Programme, in partnership with Citizens Information Kildare, Irish Hospice Foundation and the Decision Support Service (DSS), would like to invite members of the public to the “Putting Your Affairs in Order” event.
This free event, part of a regional roadshow, aims to explain, in simple terms:
- Advance healthcare directives
- Making a will
- Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) and the practical steps towards creating one
There have been over 4,000 registered arrangements made by the public with the DSS, of which almost 65% are for EPAs - a legal arrangement that can be set up by a person to allow someone they know and trust to look after their property and financial affairs and/or personal welfare decisions, if they lose the capacity to make those decisions in the future.
“We are very encouraged to see the uptake in EPAs, which cost €30 to register with us,” said Áine Flynn, Director, Decision Support Service. “When you consider a recent survey we conducted highlighted just 8% of adults have an EPA, despite our sample survey at the Bloom festival this year showcasing 90% of people think more adults should plan ahead - applications will likely only increase. This is why we recently established an EPA ‘one-stop-shop’ helpdesk, where members of staff deal exclusively with the public - and legal professionals if they are involved - in the making and registration of EPAs. Ultimately, we hope that this support will accelerate timelines from commencement of the application to registration.”
“At these events, we are effectively bringing the helpdesk on the road. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Kildare Age Friendly Programme, Irish Hospice Foundation, Newbridge Citizens Information and the Decision Support Service will be participating in more regional events like this.”
Carmel Cashin, Kildare Age Friendly Programme Manager, Kildare County Council said “We are delighted to be able to partner with such fantastic local and national organisations to bring this free event to Kildare. A special word of thanks to Joan and her team in Newbridge Citizens Information office and Patricia and the staff in St. Conleth’s who are always happy to give back to the community.”
Event Details:
When: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Talks: 10:30 am-1:00 pm
One-to-one support: 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
Where: St. Conleth’s Community College, Newbridge, W12 C432
Booking can be made in three ways:
- Following this link: https://tinyurl.com/ybw9euw2
- By Phone: 0818 07 8300
- In person: Citizens Information, Cutlery Road, Newbridge, Co. Kildare
How to prepare for the event: The DSS information services and registration teams will be on hand to show applicants how to register with DSS online and to start your own individual EPA application.
Attendees must bring along their MyGovID login details or, if you do not have a verified MyGovID account, the teams can verify your identity manually. Please bring the following required support documents:
- One photo ID (current and in date)
- Two proofs of address (dated within the last six months)
Should you require further information on which support documents to bring to verify your identity manually, the Identity Verification form on the DSS website lists accepted documents and the criteria these documents must meet.
In preparation for starting your own EPA application, you will also need to consider some important questions and have some information with you on the day.
You are welcome to bring your own laptop and the DSS teams will show you how to access their portal on your own device.
