James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

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.

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