Latest news with #IrishRuralLink
Agriland
3 days ago
- Health
- Agriland
Irish Rural Link calls for ‘urgent reform' in safeguarding older people
The Irish Rural Link (IRL), which represents the interests of local communities, has backed calls for the implementation of the Framework for Adult Safeguarding. It follows an RTÉ Investigates programme this week which exposed serious safeguarding failures in two private nursing homes, and which IRL said were 'disturbing and deeply upsetting revelations'. IRL said it supports the call from Safeguarding Ireland, which was set up to promote the safeguarding of adults who may be vulnerable. Safeguarding Ireland has called for the implementation of the framework, which was published by the Law Reform Commission in April 2024, as well as for the establishment of a national safeguarding authority. IRL said the programme that aired this week 'brought to light, once again, the urgent need to review how older people are treated and how nursing-home care is delivered in Ireland'. 'Irish Rural Link has long held the belief that nursing home care should be a last resort. Instead, people should be supported to age and live independently in their own homes,' the organisation said. However, the slow rollout of the Statutory Home Care Scheme and the 'severe lack' of adequate funding continue to hinder progress in providing the necessary supports to enable people to remain in their homes, the IRL claimed. The organisation said that community-based health and social care initiatives are essential in helping older people age at home with dignity. The IRL called for such initiatives to receive greater recognition and investment as part of a 'broader continuum of care'. Seamus Boland, the CEO of IRL, said: 'While we recognise there will always be a role for nursing homes, we believe people should have the right to remain living in their own home for as long as they feel safe and are able to do so and be provided with supports, such as home care and community services. 'It is time for a serious, nationwide conversation about how we deliver care in this country. Our older people deserve, and must be guaranteed, the right to grow old with respect and dignity,' Boland added.
Agriland
10-05-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Watch: Healthcare staff problems ‘confounded' in rural areas
Fianna Fáil's health spokesperson, Martin Daly has said the issue of recruiting and maintaining healthcare staff is 'confounded' in rural areas. Speaking at the Irish Rural Link healthcare conference in Athlone yesterday (May 9), the TD and GP told Agriland that access to services is also a problem in rural healthcare. He said: 'Access if the biggest issue for rural healthcare. What we mean by that, is having an adequate number of healthcare professionals in rural communities, whether it's GPs, nurses, or most importantly, carers. 'One of the big issues that we don't often think about when we think of health, is rural links. So transport, many older people can't drive and they need to be able to get to the local hospital.' 'It's all about delivering the most appropriate care, in the most appropriate style, and it should be close to peoples home,' the Roscommon – Galway TD explained. Fianna Fáil health spokesperson, Martin Daly speaks about rural healthcare Family Carers Ireland's Vicky Ward told the conference that often carers in rural Ireland put 'their own health on the back burner' in order to help the person they are caring for. She said: 'In a lot of cases people can't access that care locally. We find, that every single issue that is out there for the general population is compounded for a family carer. 'Because, to be able to address their own ill health, they have to find somebody to care for their loved one, so that they can even go to a doctor's appointment,' she added. Rural healthcare services The keynote speaker at the conference Professor Robert Scully also highlighted that there is a need to increase the number of general practitioners (GPs) in rural areas, and outlined solutions to the problem. The first area Prof. Scully highlighted for change, was to increase 'targeted recruitment' of GPs in rural areas. In order to do this, he believes that students need to be exposed to appropriate role models, and for their to be a retention strategy to keep GPs in rural areas. The professor also believes that doctors need to be trained 'differently' to work in rural areas versus an urban location and medical students need to be educated about rural issues, such as farming accidents.
Agriland
09-05-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Watch: Why access to services is ‘key' to promoting rural health equality
Greater access to healthcare services and staff is key to increasing 'rural health equity' in rural Ireland, according to the University of Galway's professor of rural and remote medicine, Robert Scully. Prof. Scully was the keynote speaker at the Irish Rural Link (IRL) conference for rural healthcare in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, today (May 9). The professor highlighted that there is a need to increase the number of general practitioners (GPs) in rural areas, and outlined four solutions to the problem. The first area Prof. Scully highlighted for change, was to increase 'targeted recruitment' of GPs in rural areas. In order to do this, he believes that students need to be exposed to appropriate role models, and for their to be a retention strategy to keep GPs in rural areas. The professor also believes that doctors need to be trained 'differently' to work in rural areas versus an urban location and medical students need to be educated about rural issues, such as farming accidents. He told Agriland: 'We need to train doctors differently to address rural needs. We can't exclusively train doctors in large urban centers, because they don't have the appropriate skills, attitudes, behaviours to work in rural areas. 'For farm accidents, I've worked in rural locations with agricultural communities, and there's lots of accidents in those communities.' 'Our medical students need some exposure to pre-hospital care, managing traumas and accidents and injuries, in the field, before people get to hospital'. Rural health Prof. Scully highlighted that challenges in rural healthcare is not a unique problem to Ireland, instead it is a problem all over the world. 'Help for our vision for rural people is more likely to be achieved through conservative efforts of international and national bodies working together with doctors, nurses, and other health workers in rural areas. 'It's a simple aspiration, but it demonstrates that we really need some joined up thinking to address rural healthcare issues,' Scully added.
Agriland
30-04-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Meals on Wheels network to demonstrate outside Leinster House
The National Meals on Wheels Network has said there is a 'critical need' for increased and sustained funding for its services across Ireland. The network, supported by Irish Rural Link (IRL), is holding a demonstration outside Leinster House today (Wednesday, April 30). The National Meals on Wheels Network was established under the umbrella of IRL in 2015. The aim of the network is to provide a local, community-led professional facility to assist people who require services to maintain optimum health and independence. Meals on Wheels Today's demonstration, which begins at 10:00a.m, will highlight the importance of ensuring the long-term sustainability of these services, which support older people and vulnerable individuals. Following the demonstration, members of the Oireachtas will be invited to an information day in Buswells Hotel. Meals on Wheels providers will share insights into the invaluable services they deliver, as well as the growing challenges they face in their local areas, despite rising demand. An ageing population is outpacing current funding levels, while providers face increasing food and fuel costs, staffing shortages, and a decline in volunteerism. Additional pressures such as rising insurance premiums, complex compliance requirements, and the drive for digital transformation add further strain — particularly for smaller, community-based providers. Tracey Noone, development officer for the National Meals on Wheels Network, said that despite the obstacles, providers remain committed to supporting older people in living independently and with dignity in their own homes. 'The National Meals on Wheels Network's strategy aims to ensure sustainable funding, collaboration and innovation for providers to meet growing needs. 'Increased funding is required for the network to develop national meals on wheels standards, design specific software, and implement both to ensure national accessibility and continue the network's work on behalf of providers,' she said.
Agriland
24-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Rural Ireland's lower household incomes highlighted in report
Irish Rural Link has warned that lower incomes in rural areas are a direct 'reflection of the quality of jobs' available in some areas. The national network representing the interest of rural communities has welcomed the findings of a report issued this week by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on the Geographical Profiles of Income in Ireland 2022. Source: CSO According to Irish Rural Link the CSO report confirms what it has repeatedly highlighted in relation to low incomes of rural households 'for many years' . The CSO report set out that the Carndonagh local electoral area in Donegal had the lowest household income of €35,614, with the household income for Lifford of €31,959. Donegal as a whole had the lowest household income in the country at €42,497. Leitrim, Longford and Kerry had the lowest household income in their region at €45,267, €47,217 and €48,320 respectively. Irish Rural Link said: 'Many of the jobs in these counties and within the rural towns of these counties are minimum wage, and have precarious working hours, in sectors like tourism, retail, low skill manufacturing. 'We know from our members and research from colleagues in Vincentian MESL research centre that households in rural areas working in minimum wage jobs have a deeper income inadequacy than peer households in urban areas. 'The extra cost of keeping a car on the road, and for most families, two cars, adds to family household expenses.' Job creation The group believes that although remote working 'is not a silver bullet' it can go some way to improve job opportunities in rural Ireland. 'We continue to call for a more regionally balanced approach to job creation, and also better recognition of the jobs created in sectors of tourism, retail, and hospitality that are important contributors to the overall economy,' it added. Irish Rural Link represents the interests of locally based groups in disadvantaged and marginalised areas by highlighting problems, advocating appropriate policies, sharing experiences, and examples of good practice. It has a membership of over 600 rural community groups dedicated to sustainable development and represents communities at a national and international level.
