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South County Dublin

From:	J. P. Dublin
Posted:	14 February 2008

Rular Isolation: Then They Lost The Local Pub

Rular Isolation: Then They Lost the Local Pub
By J. P. Anderson

RURAL lobbyists have called on the Government to invest in small communities and tackle the problems experienced by isolated people.
The concerned groups were reacting to comments by leading mental health and public health experts who linked the demise of rural pubs with suicide among elderly people. They said the closure of more than 1,000 rural pubs in three years worsened a situation brought on by the removal of village post offices, consolidation of Garda stations and scarcity of public transport.
Chief executive of Irish Rural Link Seamus Boland said market forces are putting vulnerable people in rural areas at risk but the Government could act. ?Firstly, we in Ireland, unlike many of our European neighbours, do not collect information on access to services. In the absence of such data it is very difficult to debate and devise appropriate local solutions.
?Another well established international practice is for governments to make commitments to a certain basic level of access to public service facilities and then to compensate state, semi-state and private providers for meeting the requirements of that obligation,? said Mr Boland.
He called for legislation on rural services to bind the Government to measures to ensure basic services were available in rural areas. ?Maintaining services in rural areas is a challenge and will remain a challenge. However, dealing with the consequences of older, isolated people living at some distance from services will not be without costs either,? he said.
These comments were supported by Martin Tubridy who is a publican in West Clare and his county?s representative on the Vintners? Federation National Executive. ?There is nothing for rural communities. Drink driving legislation and testing in the mornings have frightened people, they are staying at home and drinking on their own.
?They are not used to this. When they do go to the pub the atmosphere is dead because people cannot relax. This comes after you?ve lost the post office, the trips to the creamery, the village Garda station.
?There is nothing for people anymore and now the pub is gone. Look at any of the soaps on telly and all the social interaction is based around the pub. Even the best community centres in the country will only open for a few hours here and there,? he said. Nationally, the Vintners Federation said in the past three years 1,000 rural pubs have closed.
There are programmes in place to tackle the feeling of isolation such as the 2,500 places on the Rural Social Scheme sponsored by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The West Cork Leader Co-operative society manages 68 of its participants west of Clonakilty. Its chief executive Ian Dempsey said it provides a valuable outlet for people to feel they can give something back. ?I have to say the difference is amazing in terms of the status people can get from being involved and doing something for their own community,? he said.
However, Mr Dempsey said the problem with the scheme is the number of places is capped and if it was extended he is confident a lot more rural people would get involved.

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