O"Rourke welcomes review of panic alarm scheme

Local Fianna Fáil Deputy Mary O"Rourke this week welcomed the Government"s plans to review the scheme involving the provision of panic alarms for the elderly. Deputy O"Rourke raised the issue in the Dáil last week and said there were reasons why it had to be reviewed, but she welcomed the opportunity to raise it so quickly and looked forward to its return. Raising the issue with Deputy John Curran, Junior Minister with special responsibility for The National Drugs Strategy, Integration and Community, last week, Deputy O"Rourke said: 'I hope the Minister will review this issue and that when he decides to reinstate the scheme, which I hope he will, he will have taken account of the great deal of information which will have been given to him to demonstrate that there are many better ways of implementing the scheme. In my opinion, the scheme should always be in the hands of voluntary groups such as Muintir na Tire or Irish Rural Link, which is based in Moate, or Helplink South, a wonderful voluntary organisation supplying huge numbers of people with monitors through its very dedicated staff.' She said while she lived in the town of Athlone much of her constituency was rural and she often visited people who live alone who wear the pendant panic alarm around their neck. Minister Curran said the scheme had been suspended in April and his Department was now reviewing its operation with a view to relaunching it later in the year with tighter terms and conditions. 'This was done specifically in the context of meeting the real need among older people,' he said. He added: 'I assure the Deputies that all applications received up to the suspension of the scheme will be processed and approved, as appropriate, in line with the current eligibility criteria. Funding will be made available to eligible groups over the coming weeks.'