Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1557. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he will take to address issues of rural isolation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2040/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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 which 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.

- Investment of €46 million in Garda fleet to ensure that Gardaí are mobile, visible and responsive to prevent and tackle crime.

- Support for 450 Men’s Sheds across rural Ireland which provide a safe space 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 them with the expansion of their network.

- Maintaining the network of senior helplines in operation throughout the country, which offer a listening service for older people to help address issues such as loneliness and isolation in rural areas.

- Continued support and prioritisation of community crime prevention through schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch and Text Alert.

Implementation of the Action Plan for Rural Development is now well under way and the first 6 monthly progress report which was published in August 2017 showed that 220 actions out of 227 due to be reported on were either completed or ongoing.

The second progress report on the Action Plan is currently in preparation and will be published shortly.