Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she has evaluated issues affecting rural Ireland such as isolation and lack of connectivity with a view to making a positive contribution in line with local requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24569/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Connectivity, whether in terms of transport, in-person social contact or through communications networks, is important in ensuring the wellbeing and cohesion of our rural communities.

Many of my Department's policies and funding programmes aim to address isolation in rural and urban communities and respond to the additional challenges facing vulnerable individuals as a result of the impact of COVID-19.

My Department’s key interventions in this regard include:

- The Seniors Alert Scheme which enables older people to live with peace of mind in their homes through the provision of personal monitored alarms.  

- The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) which is Ireland’s primary social inclusion funding intervention to help those in greatest need to access supports to enable their participation in communities.

- As part of the Department’s COVID-19 Action Plan, increased support was provided for older people through the Department’s funding partnership with ALONE for their crisis telephone support line and follow-up supports for those who needed it.

My Department is also currently establishing a network of approximately 300 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) in remote rural areas across the State where the public can access reliable high-speed broadband.The BCPs are located in centres of community life such as sports clubs, community centres and libraries.

Many of the BCPs will provide remote working and study facilities, but the owners and managers of these sites are also making space available for community use, creative activities, learning and training.

In the long-term, it is envisaged that BCPs’ services will become part of the standard community resource offering.  By meeting the need for remote working space or access to on-line services, the BCPs will meet the very real and immediate needs of many rural dwellers.