Westmeath Community Development

Today (24th May 2010) Pat Carey T.D., Minister at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, announced the introduction of the Seniors Alert Scheme - Communities Supporting Older People.

“I am very pleased to be in a positon to announce the introduction of the new Seniors Alert Scheme.  It replaces the Scheme of Community Support for Older People following the completion of a comprehensive review of its operations in 2009.

Seniors Alert will simplify the way grant support can be accessed and promote wider coverage throughout the country.  The new Scheme is designed to build upon the success of its predecessor, particularly in supporting community groups to identify older people who may be isolated, in need of social contact and have fears about theirsafety.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the significant investment of time, resources and goodwill by the 1,400 community and voluntary groups who have operated the CSOP Scheme snce its introduction in 1996.  The success of Seniors Alert will depend in no small measure on the continued efforts of these and the many new groups we hope to attract to the Scheme.

I am confident that the benefits provided by the services funded by Seniors Alert Scheme will bring peace of mind to the older members of our communities and will allow them to live independently and safely in their own homes’’.

Editors Note

The introduction of the new Scheme results from a review of the Scheme of Community Support for Older People, details of which are available on the Department’s website.  The Government have committed €3.1m for these schemes in 2010.  Since 1996, when the CSOP was first introduced, it is estimated that some 100,000 older people have benefitted from grant support provided by the Scheme.

Detail of the Seniors Alert Scheme is available on the Department’s website at www.pobail.ie or upon request from the CSOP Unit in the Department, Tel.: (071) 9107818/7821 or E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .