Ó Cuív praises the Rural Social Scheme response to weather-related difficulties in rural communities nationwide
Written by Eamon Ó Cuív Thursday, 21 January 2010
Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs today expressed his appreciation to all Rural Social Scheme (RSS) participants, their supervisors and the managers of the Local Development Companies for the considerable work they carried out within their rural communities in response to the recent weather related difficulties and for their continued assistance in the areas still affected.
This has been one of the most difficult periods of weather since the Minister launched the Rural Social Scheme in 2004 and he is delighted that the resources of the Scheme were put to such great use in response to the problems faced around the country.
“I would like to commend all those involved in helping to meet the urgent needs within their communities during the severe weather,” said Minister Ó Cuív.
“The 2,600 RSS participants made it their priority to support the vulnerable and isolated within their localities, in particular the elderly. They assisted in a number of ways including gritting footpaths and housing estates; cutting and delivering fire wood; supplying fresh water and filling water tanks for those without water, buying and delivering groceries, picking up prescriptions and in some areas, providing a friendly call service to those living in isolation.”
Minister Ó Cuív also thanked others who have been assisting in recent efforts.
“I would also like to commend the drivers of the Rural Transport Scheme buses and all others involved in assisting the RSS participants to deliver groceries, meals, prescriptions and other necessary items. There was a great demonstration of community spirit, with people pooling their resources to help in so many ways. I am gladdened to see that in a time of national need, consideration, warmth and empathy for those who are in greater need remains a high priority within our communities.
“What has been achieved by the Rural Social Scheme during these difficult circumstances derives from two valuable qualities that the Scheme possesses. Firstly, it is a locally-based Scheme that can be quickly redeployed to respond flexibly to local priorities. Second, it is built on harnessing the skills of the farming community and this has allowed the Scheme’s participants to help their neighbours even in the most difficult weather conditions. I express my appreciation, and that of rural communities throughout the country, to all involved with this great effort.”
Please see the attached list for details of work carried out by RSS participants around the country. For more information about the Rural Social Scheme, please visit www.pobail.ie.
Issued by the Press & Information Office at the Dept. of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Tel/Teil: 01 6473130 Fax/Facs: 01 6473215 Layla de Cogan Chin 087 6842755
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Web/Gréasán: www.pobail.ie
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RSS DEPLOYMENT OF WORKERS
Avondhu/Blackwater (North Cork)
Participants were delighted to be called upon to help and had started to do jobs before they were contacted. The Community Connect Programme were contacted and resources were made available to them. RSS participants were involved in:
- Shopping for neighbours who cannot leave their houses
- Supplying water to houses that are without it
- Sanding paths around neighbours’ houses
- Delivering fuel to those in need
Ballyhoura
Informed all community groups and advertised in local paper that RSS participants were available to assist with weather crisis. Duties carried out include shopping, collecting prescriptions and making sure that elderly or those in need had sufficient water.
Cavan-Monaghan
RSS participants in counties Cavan and Monaghan were involved in three specific duties:
- Spreading of grit and slat in public areas, specifically outside churches, community centres, sports grounds (material provided by Local Authorities)
- Treating and clearing of footpaths
- Visiting and completing odd jobs for elderly people in their localities (generally one or two visits to each house)
Clare Local Development
Assisting older people and their communities in several ways during the cold weather; giving fodder to older people’s cattle, getting shopping and fuel, making sure that the elderly had enough water, and assisting with gritting local byroads.
Donegal (Donegal Local Development Company)
Gritting footpaths and housing estates with materials supplied by Donegal County Council, e.g. in Raphoe, Rathmullan, Ballybofey/Stranorlar and Letterkenny.
Co. Donegal (Gaeltacht – Údarás na Gaeltachta)
South Donegal Scheme 1 & 2
- Gritting of footpaths in villages, around the community centre and graveyard in Carraig, Gleann Cholm Cille and Cill Chartha
- Gritting of roads to houses of the elderly relying on HomeHelp
- Visiting elderly people in isolated areas
Gaoth Dobhair and Na Rossa
- Gritting the main road behind Earagail and back-roads around Dún Lúiche
- Clearing and gritting the community centre car park and access roads in Dún Lúiche
Cloich Cheann Fhaola
- Gritting road to Na Tithe Gloine
- Repairing burst pipes
An Clochán Liath
- Gritting around the schools, community centre and day centre
- Delivering groceries and looking after the needs of the elderly
- Gritting around the schools
Forum (Mayo)
14 workers on the Rural Social Scheme administered by FORUM Connemara Ltd carried out the following jobs for the elderly and people with disabilities in their communities:
- Clearing pathways into houses
- Bringing laundry to a local laundry services
- Delivery of shopping and fuel
- Burst pipes mended to restore water supply to individuals.
- Cleared pathways outside community centres
- Delivery of Meals on Wheels to those in need
- Daily visitation / telephone contact
Workers will continue to visit vulnerable people until weather conditions have improved and the water supply is restored.
Galway
Supervisors informed community groups that the RSS participants were available to help out with:
- Spreading grit around churches, community centres, sports grounds
- Meals on Wheels in Headford
- Calling to elderly and doing shopping, supplying water and helping with leaks
- Kilkerrin and Glenamaddy – 3 Ability West Centres, gritting around car parks to keep the service centres accessible
- Williamstown, Ballymoe – gritting and clearing church carparks
Kerry
In the Black Valley, participants put salt provided by local butchers on the roads.
In South Kerry, the elderly have been contacted to see if they have any special needs or requirements, including the cutting and delivery of firewood (waste wood from buildings and farms).
In North West Cork and East Kerry, RSS participants are ensuring that the vulnerable and elderly are still receiving a nutritious meal every day through the Meals on Wheels programme (approx. 100 meals per day). This is being achieved with the assistance of local farmers with their tractors.
Homes urgently in need of insulation have been prioritised for assistance.
The participants have also supplied water to a number of houses in Newmarket who were without water due to frozen pipes.
Longford
Longford have contacted Public Health Nurses, Post Offices and Rural Transport to inform them that they are available to call and help out any people in need.
RSS participants have been using their tractors to deliver water and shopping to isolated neighbours. Medical prescriptions are being collected and delivered to people.
Leitrim
County Council were contacted and participants have assisted in gritting and clearing roads. Participants also visiting the elderly, doing shopping, bringing them turf and fuel, etc.
Laois Partnership Company
All participants had been instructed to keep paths cleared and gritted as a priority
They have notified all community groups that RSS participants have been deployed to assist with current crisis.
Meath Community
Kilmainham Wood – RSS workers have ensured that all paths are cleared for parents and children at the childcare facility
Moynalty – 3 participants are keeping all paths cleared and gritted and carrying out any extra duties as required.
Offaly
Participants are assisting neighbours and the elderly in their communities in any capacity they can, e.g., shopping, gritting roads, bringing water to animals.
Roscommon Integrated Development Company
Curaghboy/Castlerea: Friendly Call Service to elderly; they are phoned daily to see if they need anything.
Ballinameen/Lisacull and Ballaghderren – visting elderly, shopping, getting turf/fuel etc.
Sligo
- Bringing firewood to homes
- Gritting and clearing ice and snow from driveways and church paths
- Feeding the cattle
- Visiting the elderly
- Fixing frozen pipes and leaks
- Bringing local residents to hospital when needed
- Bringing people to shops
South West Mayo
RSS participants maintained the Meals on Wheels projects in very difficult conditions, including carrying meals across fields in order to reach the elderly. Extension of Meals on Wheels scheme in Ballindine and Mayo Abbey has been brought forward to cover parts of Kilmaine also.
Louisburgh – Gritting roads since Tues.4th Jan, grit supplied by Local Authority.
Delivering groceries to the elderly or anyone who was housebound.
Ballinrobe – Assisted S.V.D.P in delivering groceries.
Claremorris and Ballindine – Delivered meals, visited those in need, any gritting as requested.
Castlebar – Supported Meals on Wheels.
North and East Mayo
In parts of North and East Mayo (for example, Crossmolina), participants are visiting the elderly, buying and delivering their groceries through the use of the Rural Transport Buses.
In other areas ( Ballaghadereen, Kiltimagh and Ballycastle), participants are visiting the elderly, with whom they have are already become familiar through the Warmer Homes Scheme. They are also maintaining the current Meals on Wheels programme in the area with the help of the local community. Participants are gritting roads e.g. in the Lacken area and Duthuma with grit provided by Mayo County Council
Achill
Achill RSS participants arranged to collect grit from Mayo County Council stores using their own machinery and vehicles, and spread it in side roads. This made it possible for the Rural Transport operators to collect people at their doors in many areas as usual.
The RSS participants working for Community Alert groups checked on all the older people in their areas, and outdoor workers accompanied Meals on Wheels participants, gritting remote side roads as they went along to ensure the delivery of hot meals in all areas.
After the freeze, the water reservoirs in Achill dropped to a critically low point and reservoirs were emptying rapidly. The proliferation of holiday homes in the area and the number of closed-up older residences presented a huge problem for Mayo County Council staff, who were already fully occupied repairing burst mains. RSS participants assisted in identifying leaks or taps left running, so that Local Authority outdoor workers could concentrate on repairing them. At an average of 3,000 gallons lost per day from each leak or running tap, Achill RSS is now responsible for saving 42,000 gallons of water that would otherwise have been lost to the community. This will ease pressure on the system and reduce the need for water restrictions and cut-offs.
Acla
Participants helped with Meals on Wheels, checking on the elderly to make sure they had food, heat and water.
Gritted by-roads and driveways for the elderly with salt and grit from the County Council.
Working with the county council identifying leaks and checking the mains.
Cill tSéandna
Participants gritted public areas and footpaths around doctors’ surgeries and churches
Meals on Wheels was also in operation. Participants made sure that driveways were cleared and made safe to walk on.
Participants helped the county council to grit roads.
Uíbh Ráthaigh
Participants checked on the elderly to make sure they had heat, water and food.
Participants cleared school yards and made them safe for the children/parents/teachers.
Helped the County Council to clear up the area around the bottle bank, as the bank was knocked over by strong winds
CDS
Gritting roads that the County Council could not cover.
North Tipperary
Kilcommon and Templemore:
- RSS participants looked after the needs of people involved in the Voluntary Housing Project in conjunction with SVDP
- Used tractor to access vulnerable, housebound neighbours, bringing food and fuel and tending to the animals
- Kept walkways and paths clear
South Tipperary
RSS workers were involved in:
- Bringing fuel and water to elderly who were without water due to frozen pipes
- Delivering food to elderly and vulnerable neighbours
- Clearing ice and snow from footpaths and gritting
- Supporting Meals on Wheels programme
West Limerick
Care of the elderly, including bringing them turf, clearing driveways, etc.
West Cork
RSS participants were involved in:
- Collecting and delivering groceries, fuel and medical supplies to those in need.
- Clearing pathways, thawing frozen pipes and stocking up fuel
Westmeath
RSS participants were involved in:
- Helping isolated people with their shopping
- Ensuring that isolated people had enough fuel during the cold spell
- Visiting elderly people in their locality to assess their needs
- Contacting tradespeople as required by those in need
- Carrying out basic repairs
- Linking vulnerable people to local transport services
Wexford
Participants are visiting the elderly, bringing in fuel and delivering groceries.
