Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

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.

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