gov - Registration for Seniors Alert Scheme reaches 50,000

Mr Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development , has revealed that more than 50,000 people have been approved for the Seniors Alerts Scheme since 2015. More than half of these new participants have joined the Scheme since last year following a significant increase in spending on the initiative.

The Senior Alerts Scheme supports vulnerable older people in our communities by providing them with a free monitored alarm which they can activate if they get into difficulty or need assistance. This community led scheme, which is funded by Minister Ring’s Department, enables people over 65 to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind.

Minister Ring said:

“It’s great to see how the Seniors Alert Scheme has taken off, especially in the last two years.

“I call on people with older relatives or neighbours to alert people to the scheme and, if necessary, to help them sign up. It’s a good idea to register in advance of the arrival of winter when older people can feel particularly vulnerable.”

People looking to find out more about the scheme should contact Pobal, which administers the Scheme, on 01 5117222 or visit www.pobal.ie .

Minister Ring continued:

“The increase in users is a direct result of a significant increase in Government funding for the Scheme. Last year alone, more than €5.4 million was spent on the scheme with almost 20,000 new participants from around the country being approved for the personal security device. And in the first six months of this year, 10,000 people have already been approved.

“Older people are safer and feel more secure in their homes when they have these monitored alarms and I’m delighted that there is now a greater demand for the Seniors Alert Scheme.”

The personalised alarms are provided free of charge by the Department of Rural and Community Development and monitoring is free for the first year. From the second year on a modest yearly monitoring fee is charged.

Notes to editors:

The below table gives a county by county breakdown of approved participants for the Senior Alerts Scheme since 2015*:

County	No. Participants Approved in 2015	No Participants Approved in 2016	No Participants Approved in 2017	No Participants Approved in 2018	No Participants Approved in 2019	Total No. Participants Approved @ 30/06/2019
Carlow	16	138	213	305	148	820
Cavan	15	78	119	256	135	603
Clare	94	317	482	480	270	1643
Cork	157	1059	1434	2246	1166	6062
Donegal	47	172	444	552	376	1591
Dublin	150	1196	2650	4744	2627	11367
Galway	81	538	872	1410	682	3583
Kerry	14	294	450	813	371	1942
Kildare	69	247	383	562	228	1489
Kilkenny	91	145	336	424	213	1209
Laois	21	267	329	203	103	923
Leitrim	12	97	178	128	82	497
Limerick	74	383	666	993	454	2570
Longford	28	44	143	157	87	459
Louth	36	316	438	187	118	1095
Mayo	67	294	481	718	354	1914
Meath	45	216	374	782	583	2000
Monaghan	6	92	168	243	117	626
Offaly	37	135	299	371	125	967
Roscommon	9	144	204	233	147	737
Sligo	21	161	275	365	153	975
Tipperary	102	444	633	955	417	2551
Waterford	26	136	221	471	256	1110
Westmeath	11	125	245	320	296	997
Wexford	40	153	303	888	338	1722
Wicklow	52	110	269	422	172	1025
Total	1321	7301	12609	19228	10018	50477

County breakdown is based on the county of the registered organisation that approved the participant.

Registration for Seniors Alert Scheme reaches 50,000 - Minister Ring

Notes to editors:

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