Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27954/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Addressing the issue of rural isolation is relevant to the work of a number of Government Departments. This is reflected in ongoing Government work including that aimed at enhancing community policing, rural transport links and tackling social inclusion. Focus on actions to address the issue of isolation in communities has become more important than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of my Department's policies and funding programmes contribute to addressing isolation issues in communities.

Key interventions include fundingthe Seniors Alert Scheme, whichenables older people to live securely, with peace of mind, in their homes through the provision of personal monitored alarms, ensuring contact is maintained with those who are vulnerable. In addition, as part of the Department’s COVID-19 Action Plan, increased support was provided for older people through our funding partnership with ALONE for their crisis telephone support line.

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)is Ireland’s primary social inclusion funding intervention, delivered locally by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need access supports to enable participation in communities. LDCs have put in place various measures to ensure supports continue to be delivered to vulnerable and isolated people throughout the COVID-19 crisis. These include:

- Online supports delivered via telephone, email, Zoom, with additional support to individuals withlimited access to technology.

- LDCs that operate a “friendly call” service to elderly people saw an increase in demand for the service with some LDCs mobilizing local community groups to become involved in making regular contact with older, vulnerable isolated people during COVID.

- LDCs supported an increase in demand for Meals on Wheels services and foodbanks, particularly for those not able to travel to shops and those experiencing food poverty.

The National Social Enterprise Policy aims to enable social enterprisesincrease their social, environmental and economic impact. Many social enterprises are based in rural or isolated areas and provide services to communities that may not otherwise be available.

Following the closure of all public libraries in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Library Authorities (LAs) quickly identified the need for a service to deliver library items to the homes of isolating community members, care facilities and Direct Provision Centres. Currently more than half of our library authorities are delivering library stock to the vulnerable and housebound. This service is highly valued by the customers who received books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs along with a welcome friendly chat with the driver.

The library service also operates a network of mobile libraries which provides an invaluable service for library users in rural communities, providing inclusion and connection to many remote areas. The vehicles offer books and other library items along with free Wi-Fi access.

The library service also provides members with free online access to thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines, newspapers and training courses.

As part of the Government’s Keep Well programme, public libraries distributed 50,000 free food growing kits through the Grow it Forward campaign in March 2021. This initiative is designed to help the nation eat well by inspiring and supporting people to grow some of their own food at home while connecting with friends and family to join them.

The current LEADER Programmefunctions under EAFRD Priority 6 – promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas. This provides the basis for LEADER to address challenges facing Irish society including social exclusion. The Social Inclusion Theme is composed of the sub-themes Provision of Basic Services Targeted at Hard to Reach Communities and Rural Youth.

The sub-themes focus on providing basic services to communities in remote areas which may be at risk of social exclusion and also promoting youth entrepreneurship and associated training in order to improve improved pathways for young people to access economic opportunities in rural areas.

Physical and social isolation can have a significant impact on people living in rural areas.My Department recently published Our Rural Future, a rural development policy for the next five years. The policy seeks to strengthen and build resilience in our rural communities and deliver a range of policy measures in order to achieve these objectives.

I have also introduced a new CLÁR Innovation Measure this year. This funding will be targeted at piloting new ideas which address specific challenges faced by communities in CLÁR areas, including rural isolation, population change, social disadvantage and marginalisation. This Measure provides a great opportunity for communities to identify the specific challenges they face and to come up with innovative ways to address them.

The issue of isolation is one which concerns us all and I am committed to continuing my Department’s response to this issue through continued delivery of relevant programmes and policies.