Dáil debates
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Departmental Schemes
10:05 pm
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the new enhancements and developments that are being considered to ensure the senior alert scheme is in line with changing demographics and technological advancements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49684/23]
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The seniors alert scheme has delivered peace of mind to many people, with alarms or pendants and monitors. With an ageing population there is likely to be increased demand. What plans does the Minister have to expand the scheme and to avail of newer technologies to make the scheme even better?
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank Deputy Moynihan for the question. The Department is responsible for the senior alert scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.
The current version of the scheme came into effect in September 2021. Along with the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements, it introduced a new key feature in the additional option of a digital alarm for use with web-based connections.
Initial discussions have taken place between officials from the Department and the Department of Health to consider the potential role of the seniors alert scheme as part of the increased use of assistive technologies aimed at supporting people to continue to live independently within their communities.
The scheme is administered by Pobal with the support of approximately 650 registered local community and voluntary groups. This community element is central to the success of the scheme, helping to address concerns around social isolation in our older people.
In addition, a national publicity campaign will be launched shortly to further raise awareness around the scheme and encourage families and individuals to avail of this potentially lifesaving equipment. While the campaign will have a national reach, it will have a particular focus on the regions with low uptake and will avail of the most recent census data in this regard.
The senior alert scheme is also part of the annual Be Winter Ready campaign, ensuring communities take all the steps necessary to be prepared for severe weather conditions.
The senior alert scheme alarm is a lifeline for participants and their families, providing much needed reassurance that help is available in the event of an emergency. I am committed to ensuring it keeps supporting our elderly citizens who need it most.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Many volunteer groups, such as Pobal ar Aire in Cúl Aodha and Kilnamartyra and community alert schemes in areas such as Clondrohid use the senior alert scheme to support older people and vulnerable people in their communities. They have done great work in delivering peace of mind and practical support to people. There are areas where a phone signal is not available. There are homes that do not have a landline. Other people have broadband available to them. The Department is using some additional technologies and this is positive.
Is there a plan in place, though, to ensure that telephone blackspots, those places where the telephone will not be available, will also be able to avail of peace of mind and be safe places for people with these monitors? Is the Minister of State considering the option of rolling this out so people can freely go about their homes and outside as well and get the maximum benefit of technology to deliver peace of mind and a sense of safety in those blackspots where the telephone signal is not so strong?
10:15 pm
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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We are very interested in finding out where these blackspots are. We want everyone who wishes to avail of the senior alert scheme, SAS, to be able to access it. As I said, we will be pushing it out under a new advertising scheme coming out soon. We are also looking at counties with a low uptake as well. It is my understanding that once people have a landline connection they have access to this scheme. My own late mother used to use it. She never had to use it, although she used it accidentally a couple of times. She realised then that it worked and it provided great peace of mind. I am, therefore, very aware of its value. We are very eager to reach people who want to avail of the scheme but who perhaps do not think they can get it. On the technological side of things, my understanding is that we can reach everyone who wants it, based on the technology we have now. There are potential future uses as well for a kind of monitoring scheme, but this goes beyond the core aim of the senior alert scheme, which is basically to connect people who are isolated to the wider community.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Looking at the demographics, clearly, we are living longer and healthier lives. There are increasing numbers of older people and likely to be increased demand for this scheme in future. In north-west Cork, the population aged over 65 is that bit greater than the rest of the country, so we expect there would be even greater demand in our community. We wish to try to establish if the Department is making it increasingly available to more people. Is the capacity in this regard being increased so more people can apply for and have these senior alert alarms and the security that goes with them? I refer to ensuring the availability of this scheme in some places where previously there were strong community groups able to work on a scheme like this and deliver it in the community, but where some of those groups are not there all the time. It is necessary to reach back and reinvigorate those community groups as well. They are a vital link in this regard and this must also be addressed.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The senior alarm scheme is absolutely excellent. I do, though, have two concerns. One is that there is a need to undertake an awareness campaign. I am shocked at the number of older people who do not know about the scheme. I am glad the Minister of State said he has seen where it needs to be more accessible. Most of the older people I know have great faith in this alarm. It is like a little red button on your arm. I know so many people who have it. Again, as I said, there are also many people who are not aware of it.
The second aspect, and I would like this to be addressed in the awareness campaign, arises from confusion regarding landlines and mobiles. I say this because many people, and older people in particular, do not have landlines anymore. This is great. Many of them have mobile phones. I think, though, there was confusion about the two phones. Perhaps the Minister of State needs to clarify these issues. It is a great scheme and needs to be promoted more. In rural areas, like County Carlow, and other areas like that, this scheme has been greatly beneficial for the community.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank both Deputies. We have more than 600 community groups around the country helping us to find people, but we need more. We need everyone to be on board to find people. The key part of this scheme is that it is a connection to people's wider community as well. This is why these community groups are invaluable.
I will comment on the availability of the alarm. There are three versions of the base unit. The version selected depends on the available telecoms equipment in the participant's home.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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One is a landline alarm, which is installed when the participant has a standard telephone line. The second option is a broadband alarm, which is installed when the participant has a broadband line. The third alarm is the GSM version, which is installed when the participant does not have a standard telephone or a broadband line. This latter unit works off the mobile phone as well.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It is a great scheme.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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There are different ways of doing it. There really should not be anyone who, as I said earlier, wants to avail of this scheme but is not getting it. It is, by the way, demand-led as well. When the demand is there, we will meet it.