Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Well done to the Acting Chairperson on chairing this debate. I was listening to it in my office before I came into the Chamber and it has been wonderful to hear the contributions from everybody around the place. We have heard wonderful stories of people in societies and communities. I congratulate Senator Pauline O'Reilly and her colleagues on tabling this worthwhile motion.

There was a very important conference recently in Roscommon town under the auspices of LEADER and the Suck Valley Group. We had two wonderful days of interactions and discussions. There were young and not so young people involved. We need to realise that loneliness affects people of all ages. I know we talk a lot about older people living alone being lonely, which is true. However, it also affects many young people. We should realise that younger people growing up get confused about life and confused about the world we live in. They can often be quite lonely and find it hard to discuss it with anybody.

I pay tribute to the Minister of State on his promotion. He has been very strong on health issues and has been very involved in the health committee. I know that he will champion this cause of loneliness and bring the debate forward. I am confident that he will come up with proposals and ideas to help address loneliness.

Technology has helped greatly with elderly people being able to send texts, emails and all that. There is another side to that. When people had a problem with an ESB bill or a phone bill, they used to be able ring up and talk to an operator. However, that has disappeared and has caused problems particularly for older people living on their own. Nowadays people are asked to press "1", press "2" etc. or hold for an operator and the operator might never come. In one case, a lady told me that she kept the phone conversation going with the lady on the other end because she was lonely. Nobody would ever think of that happening.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly mentioned farming. I come from a farming background and was reared on a farm. Sometimes technology causes a difficulty for older people. Men, in particular, could not handle technology, which made them feel pretty useless. It also brings an element of loneliness into their lives. As a number of Senators have mentioned, incredible work is being done by women's sheds and men's sheds. Men's sheds have been really important because I would say more men than women suffer from loneliness. They have been an amazing development and are in virtually every town now. The Government is funding them and will continue to fund them. Women's sheds have now started and are very important.

I would also like to mention the daycare centres run by community groups, such as in Strokestown, Elfin and Kilbride in my own area and I could name many more throughout the county. Senator Dolan would know them and Senator O'Reilly knows them in Galway as well as well. Many volunteers are involved in those centres. People come to the centre and have a subsidised dinner there. They have discussions there. They go on outings during the summer. They bring in people to talk about different aspects of life, their rights, their pensions, fire safety in the home and all those things. They play a very important role in ensuring that loneliness is not worse in our society.

Senator Clifford Lee mentioned new mothers. For many years a lot of us might not have appreciated that many mothers after the birth of a baby can go through a very upsetting and depressing time. I do not believe that was fully understood for a long time. Thankfully, that is now understood.

Our postmen and postwomen do an incredible job as was mentioned by Senator Hoey and Senator Black. They go way beyond the call of duty, particularly in rural areas to make sure they call in on people. Sometimes they may not have a postal item, but they call to the person living alone to make sure they are all right. They should not be forgotten either.

Community gardaí are also important. Sometimes a garda will get on their bicycle on a good day and go around to people in the countryside, particularly people living on their own or people who might be vulnerable to make sure they are okay.

It is a great motion and I think we can develop it. We can do a lot for lonely people. We are now turning it into a national debate which will be welcomed by many people. The Sound of Silence was the title of a great song by Paul Simon. Of course, that song refers to the fantastic world of silence, which at times can be good in a mad world including sometimes in the Houses here when we are trying to do so much. Of course, the sound of silence has a different meaning for many people. That silence often matches up with loneliness. I say well done to Senator Pauline O'Reilly and I thank the Minister of State for being here. I hope that we can work together as a group and make progress on this matter.