Your friend, did he only have SEP and gliding, and managed to get into Ryanair + 35, anyway sounds like an urban legend to me, or utter BS.
Isn't CAE located in Amsterdam, good I don't believe in conspiracies then.
I have loads of friends, who have reported back to me with regards to the demographic of pilots who have been on the assessments and I have pilot colleagues similar my age, there currently not any over 40, or late 30's getting called for assessments.
Now the real question, because I am 40 or more, does that make me less capable? That's the real question. Will I not be able to provide Ryanair the same as someone who is 25?
Ok, now I get it, they might be afraid I stay more then the 3-4 years, so they can't get another wannabe in to pay for the training, at least that is an honest reply.
Ryanair would like to get rid of first officers, and if they expand their TR program, they might just manage that, that all first officers are paying students!