Action required to combat rural and urban isolation T
HE need to combat rural and urban isolation was raised in the Dáil by Fianna Fáil Deputy James Browne. ‘Whether in the urban centres of Gorey, Wexford, Enniscorthy and New Ross and the surrounding rural areas or Dublin city or Cork where I meet various groups, isolation is consistently raised as an issue when discussing loneliness and its effect on mental health,’ he said.
‘There is much we could do. Many of the traditional structures that helped to prevent isolation and loneliness are no more. The State could do a lot to develop new structures where people could meet, interact and engage to combat this epidemic.’
Supports must be provided for voluntary and community groups in both urban and rural settings, he said, in particular, the groups that are already active. ‘Some villages are strong in that regard, but they tend to be the ones with schools and shops,’ he said. ‘There are many small villages in rural Ireland that do not have that centre and we must find ways to encourage greater interconnectivity in them.’
In reply, the minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring said his Department is committed to the successful delivery of a number of programmes which provide financial and other supports for organisations throughout the country to assist in combating rural and urban isolation.
‘They include the Seniors Alert Scheme, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, the LEADER programme and the Community Services Programme,’ he said. ‘In addition, groups can input into the policy-making process through the local structures established by my Department, the public participation networks and local community development committees.’
On volunteering, he said the call for an input paper is a first step in developing a new national volunteering strategy.
‘We want to hear from stakeholders as we draft the new strategy and there will be further opportunities to have an input via public consultation later in the process,’ he added.