A lack of public transport systems in rural areas is further compounding the issue of loneliness among the elderly, according to local senator Pat O’ Neill.
Addressing the Seanad, Senator O’ Neill said there remained a divide between rural and urban Ireland and he called for a sustainable rural transport scheme to help deliver a measure of equality between rural and urban areas.
“Rural isolation is a particular problem for the elderly. Not every older person is in a position to run a car. Those who have been widowed or who never married are often living alone. For these people a local bus service is a lifeline,” he said.
In front of an assembly including Minister for State Alan Kelly, Senator O’ Neill praised the role of the Ring-A-Link bus service in the southeast, a service that caters to people in rural areas in Kilkenny, Carlow, and south Tipperary.
“Ring-a Link provides buses that collect rural people at their door and bring them to their local town, village, or train station. It is an important service and it’s important that we keep it.
“The recent CSO survey, which showed that over 50 per cent of people in rural areas thought there was no transport available to them, shows that the Rural Transport Network may have a way to go in reaching many people in rural Ireland - even in terms of making them aware of its existence.”
Senator O’ Neill called for more work to be done to promote existing services as well as an improvement in the efficiencies of services through systematic reform.
He also highlighted the importance of maintaining rural roads and welcomed a recent government allocation of €1.25m to local authorities in preparation for extreme weather conditions.
