Minister: Number of schemes in place to address rural loneliness
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary, has said there are a number of schemes in place to address the issue of social isolation and loneliness in rural areas.
The minister said one scheme of significant importance was the Local Enhancement Programme, which has allocated €7 million in 2025 to assist a number of community groups across the country.
The programme provides funding for the groups to buy equipment or carry out upgrades to community spaces.
The scheme is open to not-for-profit groups and voluntary organisations and applications are made through local authorities.
Responding to a parliamentary question (PQ), Minister Calleary said that a huge variety of community groups - including social clubs, choirs and sports clubs - are supported under the scheme.
"The scheme also supports Men’s and Women’s Sheds, which play an important role in reducing isolation. This builds on significant support for the sheds in recent years."
The minister also mentioned the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF), which helps ensure communities have spaces for groups and activities.
"Earlier this month I was delighted to announce funding of €26.1 million under the CCIF, which will deliver enhancement and refurbishment works on 369 community centres nationwide," the minister said.
In excess of €109 million has now been approved under the fund since 2022.
In addition to the other initiatives, the Senior Alerts scheme is specifically to provide people aged 65 and over with a grant to purchase a personal emergency alarm.
Minister Calleary said this particular scheme supports thousands of older people around the country to live in their own homes and communities.
The scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by Pobal.
Applications can be made through local community and voluntary groups that are registered with Pobal.
The Mayo TD said other supports - such as those for Tidy Towns groups, agricultural shows, and the community services programme - would all help to ensure that communities are inclusive places to live and are enabled to help reduce social isolation and loneliness.
"Finally, my department recently launched an online public survey to inform the development of the successor to Our Rural Future, with addressing social isolation a specific topic of the survey.
"I would encourage people to provide their views on how we can continue to address this challenge," the minister concluded.
