Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 February 2018
34. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8511/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness
The Government's Action Plan for Rural Development includes a range of measures which will contribute significantly to addressing isolation and social inclusion in rural areas. Specific examples of actions in the plan that will help those who feel isolated or vulnerable in rural areas include significant investment in the seniors alert scheme, which facilitates valuable community-based support for vulnerable older people living alone. I allocated €2.7 million to this scheme in 2017 and over 10,000 installations were completed in 2017.
There will be investment of €46 million in the Garda fleet to ensure that gardaí are mobile, visible and responsive in order to prevent and tackle crime. There will be support for the 450 men’s sheds across rural Ireland. These provide safe spaces where men can gather and participate in their communities, develop social networks and potentially gain new skills and access information. I recently provided a small grant to the Irish Men's Sheds Association to support the expansion of its network.
We will maintain the network of senior helplines in operation throughout the country. Such helplines offer a listening service for older people to help address issues such as loneliness and isolation in rural areas. There will be continued support and prioritisation of community crime prevention through schemes such as neighbourhood watch and text alert. In addition, there will be continued improvements in the rural transport programme, including the provision of new routes.
My Department is currently finalising the second six-monthly progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Rural Development. I expect that it will be published in the coming weeks. The report will provide updates from all Departments on their actions, including those that are helping to address the issue of rural isolation.
I raise this issue not to criticise but rather to challenge and help to create awareness around the growing problem of social isolation and loneliness in rural Ireland and the importance of checking in on relatives, neighbours and friends. Despite significant advances in communications and technology in recent years, many communities are more isolated than ever, leading to an acute crisis of loneliness which affects the mental health and well-being of people living in rural and urban areas. Communities are becoming increasingly disconnected and it is no longer the case that everybody knows his or her neighbours. There is an increasing problem of villages lying empty between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. because people are commuting to and from work, a problem which is exacerbated in rural Ireland. A survey carried out 18 months ago showed that 53% of farmers have been affected by suicide and 16% of farming families have some experience of suicide.
The Deputy has identified a very serious problem and one which my Department is examining. That is why I established the senior alert scheme with funding of €2.7 million. The UK recently appointed a Minister for loneliness, which shows that this is not just an Irish but also a European problem. The Deputy is quite correct. That is why we have active retirement groups, men's sheds, the Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, and other such organisations. Many organisations are being funded by my Department at a national level to make sure they establish schemes to try to help and support people living alone. In the past, many groups kept an eye on elderly people. People are busier now and do not have the time to do so. More people are lonely now and all they are looking for is somebody to talk to and make contact with them. I will talk to all of the community groups, particularly national organisations, when allocating funding. I will take this point up with them. I would like them to consider the schemes they could put in place to try to visit and support people who are living alone and are isolated.
I am glad the Minister referred to the fact that Prime Minister May has appointed a Minister for loneliness. It is reflective of the epidemic of loneliness across the western world due to the fact that there is no longer physical connectedness. People are too busy. That is not necessarily their fault. Many of the traditional means whereby individuals stayed connected have changed. Party meetings in rural areas would have been packed years ago, but that is no longer the case. This is reflected in other areas of society. People no longer become involved with organisations. We need to find ways to encourage them to get involved and reach out to others. Older people in particular find themselves very isolated because they are not as experienced with the modern pace of life and technology as others. I encourage the Minister to act. As I said, my question is not to criticise but rather to challenge. Perhaps the Minister is in an ideal position to address these core issues.
That was one of the reasons we set up the Local Link service with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport last year. It enables people to at least come in and pick up their pension on a Friday. It allows them come into their town to shop. It is a very serious problem that affects society when people are busy and do not have the time to help others. I will speak to representatives of the organisations that we fund. To be fair, groups like the GAA and soccer and rugby organisations, as well as other sporting bodies, can be relevant here. The GAA is probably the most popular local organisation, as there are community, town and village teams. Maybe I should sit down with the GAA and soccer organisations to see what we can do to try to support people who are lonely, isolated and feeling vulnerable. I put much money and effort into the seniors alert scheme last year because I wanted people to at least feel safe in their own homes.
