AN AGE FRIENDLY UBER scheme for Kilrush is to be explored by the local authority with social isolation rising for the elderly in West Clare’s biggest town.
Staff within the Rural and Community Development section of Clare County Councl are currently investigating the potential of establishing an age friendly hackney scheme for Kilrush.
Such a scheme can help to tackle social isolation among the elderly, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) outlined when proposing the idea. He called for the hackney/uber scheme “for elder and persons with disabilities to ensure they can maintain their local social and medical interactions preventing social isolation and further health concerns”.
Speaking at the September meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Lynch explained, “This notice of motion came out of a meeting I had with a woman in her nineties. She worked all her life, she never took a penny from the State and always paid her taxes, she has stopped driving her car because she didn’t feel safe driving anymore and as a result she is suffering from social isolation because we’ve no taxis in Kilrush”.
He continued, “This is a sign of the focus we’re looking at when we think of older people, if people are getting socially isolated in a place like Kilrush I hate to think what it is like in rural areas”.
Bringing in an uber scheme would help the elderly get to appointments for the dentist, doctor and hair dresser while also keeping up their social contact, the Kilrush representative said.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) reminded his colleagues that in the CLÁR funding announced in September, Co Clare did not get a single community vehicle allocated to the county.
Senior executive officer in the West Clare MD, John O’Malley confirmed the potential of the scheme was “being investigated” within Rural Development and noted a similar trial was ongoing in Kildare. He stated, “I have been in touch with my colleagues in rural development”. The county’s age friendly officer has also been brought on board to assist with the proposal.
