Volunteer car scheme vital for isolated rural people

The Leitrim Volunteer Car Scheme provides an “essential service” to vulnerable and isolated rural people in the county and needs to be funded by the relevant government department if the initiative is to remain in operation.
That was the message at last Monday's council meeting during which councillors called on the local authority to contact the Department of Transport as well as the HSE and the Department of Rural and Community Development in relation to funding the popular scheme.
The idea of a volunteer car scheme is to utilise community volunteers to drive older people, who do not have access to transport, to non-emergency HSE appointments.
The service has always been much needed and well used, however, it has never been adequately funded.Leitrim Volunteer Centre, had worked hard to keep the service going, applying for a wide range of grants and asking the HSE, Local Link and the National Transport Authority for financial assistance, to no avail.
In May the service ceased, due to lack of funds. This was devastating for all the older people that relied on the service.
Members of Leitrim Older Peoples Council have heard many anecdotal reports of people being unable to afford or access transport to attend appointments and extreme distress and anxiety about how they will manage their health conditions.
It is estimated that this service would cost €60,000 annually to operate, this figure includes €30,000 to employ a dispatcher to take referrals and calls and match people with available volunteers in their area.
Cllr Sean McGowan said the councillors were contacted by a number of voluntary organisations in relation to the issue saying that €30,000 per annum is the amount needed to keep the initiative in operation.
“People are picked up from their house and brought to a Local Link, which are brilliant but can't get around to all the rural areas where people are isolated.”
Cllr Padraig Fallon's motion also related to the scheme. “The Leitrim Community Car Scheme was set up in March 2012 on a trial basis to assist vulnerable and isolated persons in the county to attend hospital appointments, pharmacy pick-ups, shopping and other transport needs however uptake of the service far exceeded the resources which Leitrim Volunteer Centre can provide.”
Cllr Padraig said that 90 per cent of “appointments were facilitated at hospitals” all across the country from Belfast to Cavan and that it has had a very “positive impact" on the HSE's budget with regard to the reduction in 'do not attends' or 'DNAs'.
He said he was aware of a person living rurally who missed a hospital appointment as the scheme could not facilitate him due to demand.
Cllr Mary Bohan said it was “an essential service” and “very worthwhile” with Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire saying there are volunteers available to drive the car and adding that the scheme would save the Department much more than it would cost to run it in reducing DNAs.
Cllr Des Guckian said that elderly and ill people living alone who are unable to drive “must have friendly transport to bring them to hospital appointments, etc.” and that adequate funding must be made available in order to keep the scheme on the road.
It was agreed that a letter would be sent to the relevant departments.