REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF “REACH OUT” CAMPAIGN FOR DUBLIN CORPORATION
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF “REACH OUT” CAMPAIGN FOR DUBLIN CORPORATION THURSDAY, 1 OCTOBER, 1998
I am delighted to have this opportunity of launching the Reach Out campaign. What particularly impresses me is that this initiative brings together statutory bodies, local authorities, the voluntary sector and business, in a unique partnership to reach out to those who are our most vulnerable citizens – and to offer them the protection that they need and deserve, to enable them to be full participants in the community.
What has struck me very forcibly since taking office, however, is that far from being merely a needy sector of the community, elderly people are in fact some of our most productive members. As I travel the country, I always notice how often the valuable work done by community and voluntary groups depends on the tireless efforts of retired people. And I recall a couple of months ago being in Blanchardstown for the opening of a Cyberskills Workshop – and at which some of our senior citizens showed how they had come to grips with the world of computers and the Internet.
Retirement from the world of work frees many people to develop their talents in new directions. By taking part in voluntary activities, they help cement their local communities, and enrich all our lives. They in turn feel rejuvenated by the challenges and personal contact that voluntary activity brings.
But, for some, age is a time of isolation and, and sometimes, fear. Those who have been recently bereaved, or who have been ill, for example, can lose contact with their families and neighbours. Social workers, nurses and doctors cannot be on hand 24 hours a day, seven day in the week, to help and support the elderly and to ensure that they are safe and well. The voluntary sector is also constrained by time and resources. The sense of community, and the sense of neighbourliness many of us grew up with, are under pressure as never before from the accelerating pace of everyday life.
The Reach Out initiative is a practical response to this need - to harness the co-operation of neighbours and relatives in ensuring the well-being of the elderly. By offering our friendship, and by being on hand to call for assistance when needed, we can all share in our duty of care to other. This is particularly important in the coming winter months when the elderly become susceptible to cold – and depend on the vigilance of their caring neighbours and friends.
Unfortunately, elderly people can be easy prey – and have to suffer the trauma and pain of being victims of crime. And there are others whose isolation and feeling of vulnerability means that they lead very restricted and lonely lives. Regular contact with neighbours helps to keep these fears in perspective, and goes a long way in fighting social exclusion - and in promoting self-respect, dignity and a positive role for older people in society.
We live in time of great hope and opportunity for our country. But while looking forward to the fruits of peace and economic development, we should not forget that we owe these successes to the generation that built and developed modern Ireland. The Reach Out campaign gives us all the opportunity to give something back to those to who we owe so much.
I spoke earlier of the Cyberskills Workshop – and the involvement of older people in that new development out in Blanchardstown. With the growing impact of the information society that we can see almost daily – the prospect of digital communications and television, with growing availability and use of Internet services – we have the opportunity now to look at new ways to offer help and assistance to many people in our society. These are exciting developments and are not just for the benefit of a few. They will revolutionise the way existing services are delivered - and open up new possibilities for new services.
The Reach Out campaign is, as I have said, the result of a unique partnership. I know that you have taken many initiatives which have greatly improved the quality of life of so many – projects like the installation of door viewers and chains in the greater Dublin area – for which you received generous support from Waterford Crystal – and you poster, Callcard, leaflet and letter franking campaigns. In each of these initiatives you have used imagination and, I suspect, a degree of “persuasion” with those from whom you get such support.
I commend the excellent work in the Reach Out campaigns – work that has brought security and peace of mind to many – and your support for the work of organisations like ALONE, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, and the many other voluntary bodies that you give practical support to. I would like thank all the local and national voluntary agencies, who work so hard, not only in this campaign, but also in improving the general quality of life of the elderly and vulnerable in our society. I would also like to pay tribute to your sponsors for their continued and continuing commitment and generosity.
I wish you well with your future initiatives and projects – of which, I have absolutely no doubt, there will be many.