Madam, - As an organisation working to improve the quality of life of older people, Age Action welcomes proposals by Minister Eamon Ó Cuív to increase funds for rural transport services.
However, if additional money is available to provide night-time services to support local pubs, we believe the expansion of rural transport services in daylight hours should also be considered.
The Rural Transport Initiative has been a success in areas where it is operating. It has enabled older people, living alone and without transport, to make essential trips to their local towns and villages for groceries, medical appointments and vital social contact. Without this service, many of these passengers might not have any human contact during the week.
However, there are many parts of the country where this service is not available. Some older people may wish to avail of the service being proposed by the Minister to go to their local pubs. But many would wish to use such transport during daylight hours for other trips.
Age Action is lobbying the Government to adopt a more flexible approach to the issue by providing older people living in areas where there is no rural transport with a book of vouchers. These could then be used as payment for a range of potential transport providers in a community. For example, with a bit of flexibility, it should be possible to use school buses - when they are not being used for students - to transport older people.
We cannot overstate the importance of rural transport and the social contact this service helps provide. Sociologists estimate that social contact can result in up to eight years' increased longevity. - Yours, etc,
EAMON TIMMINS, Head of Advocacy and Communications, Age Action, Dublin 2.
Madam, - While I have every sympathy for those living in rural areas who want to get home from the pub after a few pints it is astonishing that some politicians are suggesting that the Garda should go easy on drivers who choose to drink and drive. One of the main reasons for this problem is the fact that many people in rural Ireland want to live in houses built miles away from the nearest town or village. This has resulted in the isolation of many such rural dwellers and it is for such reasons that many groups have voiced concern at the level of one-off housing in the Irish countryside.
However, proponents of one-off housing cannot seem to make this connection and I believe that it will be too late when they do, as the inevitable process of service privatisation will eventually make their lifestyles unsustainable when they are made to pay the real costs. - Yours, etc,
ROBERT BUCKLEY, Dublin 13.
Madam, - The sentiments expressed by Michael Lowry TD on behalf of rural people who can no longer enjoy the lifelong practice of a couple of drinks in their local because of the stricter enforcement of the drink driving laws, is both appropriate and misguided at the same time.
Clearly there is little chance of changing the law on random breath-tests, nor should there be. No one, particularly an elderly rural pub-goer, would want to be associated in any way with a road accident. Indeed, most of the families who must live with the terrible loss on the roads of a loved one are from rural communities.
While some may argue that a few pints taken by an older person who will drive at no more than 50km/h for the mile-and-a-half trip home are perfectly safe, more and more people are becoming uncomfortable with this practice.
Publicans need to accept that the law is there to prevent deaths and lifelong injuries. The real challenge is to establish a local transport system that can allow people to travel in comfort to their local pub in the knowledge that they can enjoy their evening out.
Therefore Mr Ó Cuív's announcement is welcome. - Yours, etc,
SEAMUS BOLAND, Irish Rural Link, Moate, Co Westmeath.