Mr. Seán Moynihan:

On the general statement on loneliness, we have given people the language required. The levels of loneliness were always a feature but the pandemic exacerbated the situation. Just as people say it is all right not to be okay when addressing mental health among younger people, we have been trying to destigmatise loneliness and give people the language, ability and strength to reach out, the ultimate aim being to have everybody realise that ending up lonely is not a personal failure but, rather, a feature of life. You retire and may lose a spouse or partner, or your health may be poor. Those over 80 sometimes spend up to 80% or 90% of their time in their own homes. As people age, they sometimes lose social groups, and family sizes change. Really, what we have been trying to do is destigmatise. Some aspects of the loneliness have always existed but I hope we have now given people the language to deal with it. Empirical evidence and research indicate how dangerous loneliness is to people, young and old. Loneliness-----