Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for allowing me to raise this important issue not just for the elderly people of Inishowen but also for the many other elderly people and their families. The elderly were once young. They worked and produced families and at the end of their lives, they deserve comfort and security in their health and physical circumstances. I welcome that the budget increased the State pensions by €12 and €14 a week and gave an extra week's fuel allowance.

Some years ago medical cards were introduced for all people over 70 and there are ongoing voluntary and community grants for safety in houses, insulation etc. Considerable investment has been made in voluntary housing to allow elderly people to avail of secure and often sheltered accommodation that affords them their own independence while also having the feeling of community. The home care packages developed over recent budgets are very important also because pensioners want to be at home.

I may be selfish in raising this matter because I aspire to be one of the elderly in the future and there are a number of us around. As the Minister of State knows, many elderly people are lonely and some can feel very isolated. While they might live in a town, they may not have people visiting. Life has changed and people seem to have more difficult lives and to live them at a faster pace. The concept of the family may not be as cohesive with people no longer living on top of each other as much as they did in former days.

There is an initiative in Inishowen, which began in Buncrana, called "Good Morning Inishowen". Volunteers offer their time to call a number of people who have agreed to the phone call. They receive it at a certain time on a certain day so they expect it. If they do not feel well they can inform the person at the other end of the phone. While he or she may not be a medical person, it allows the elderly person to relieve his or her mind of how good or bad the day was with someone at the other end of the phone to listen to their woes or concerns or even just to have a bit of fun, which I discovered is as much part of the job as anything else. Having spoken to recipients of calls and to volunteers, both have gained from the initiative. Many people are lonely despite the many packages allowing them to stay in their homes. If they are lonely in their houses it is a considerable drawback which may push them over the edge and force them to enter a nursing home. If they do not, they may remain isolated, lonely and fearful.

The Minister of State has a great opportunity to bring together many aspects. While I have spoken about the loneliness aspect, the safety aspect is also an important part of the difficulties experienced by elderly people. There has been investment in panic bells, spy holes, special doors and lights that come on automatically. In the context of the safety aspect the Minister of State should work with the Garda, which I am sure she is doing. If the feeling of insecurity among elderly people arises as a result of youths going slightly astray, the Garda should consider using the Children Act to deal with it. If it arises as a result of criminal acts they need to be addressed promptly. If elderly people are being attacked it should be a priority for the Garda to respond properly.

I would like to see development of rural transport to allow these people to continue to go to church, hospital, shops etc. The "Good Morning Inishowen" service has been operational on a pilot basis and I commend those involved. It has been supported by the Health Service Executive and I believe John Hayes has been central in this regard. The project needs to be put on a statutory basis so that those involved do not wonder from year to year or month to month whether they will have the funding to enable them to continue. I would like to think it is a model that could be expanded countrywide. Any initiative that improves the quality of life for elderly people is important.

I am not one to commend any old initiative or pilot project. This one is in my area, I know it very well and I know the value it is to the community. I know also the Minister of State met a group from the organisation when she recently visited Donegal. The people she met at the conference there spoke very highly of her. The cares and needs of the elderly are in a safe pair of hands. I hope the Minister of State will work with her colleagues in other Departments to ensure these good projects can be rolled out and that when we need these facilities in a few years' time, they will be in place for us.