The core issue this proposal seeks to address is the maintenance and improvement of the wellbeing of older people in Co. Mayo through a detailed assessment of existing supports and services provided through the non-government sectors and of the potential for linking and reconfiguring a range of existing services such as nutrition, transport, maintenance and repairs, day care, laundry etc to be reconfigured through a ‘hub and spoke’ approach to ensure that all older persons with care and support needs are identified and targeted and offered a level of service equal to their needs thus strengthening social inclusion. Co Mayo has been chosen for this initiative because it is a large county with an overlapping of local government and health catchment areas, has a large rural population of older people, many of whom live alone (but also many larger urban areas with potential for development at scale) has a strong sense of community and experience of community development but, importantly, where a multiplicity of policies and initiatives through various agencies now requires assessment and reorientation. This proposal would address currently unconnected aspects of the Programme for Government and assist the Dept of Rural, Community Development and Gaeltacht in addressing some of its own specific priorities in relation to rural development, social enterprise, best use of community assets, support of volunteering and community engagement, development of resilience in Gaeltacht areas and tackling social exclusion. The initial investment of €50,000, which would be matched by ‘in kind’ supports from participants in the Mayo Social project, would provide a roadmap for future social innovation and investment and provide learning for statutory and voluntary sectors alike.
In the context of an ageing society and economy, which is still adapting to the effects of a Covid pandemic and is facing major challenges with housing, inward migration, costs of living, social isolation and environmental changes, a number of statutory and voluntary / community organisations in Co Mayo came together in late 2024 to explore the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society and economy. This initiative, now known as Mayo Social, emerged from discussions between national leadership of the HSE and Sage Advocacy which is the national advocacy service for older people and survivors of institutional abuse. ‘Seed funding’ was provided by the HSE to assist in the development of this initiative and Mayo Co Council funded a significant event on housing and older people.
One of the first actions of Mayo Social1 was to engage with public representatives in the lead up to the general election in November and the development of a Programme for Government in early 2025. Mayo Social proposed the development of the project to act as a demonstrator and catalyst for similar projects to be developed around the country which would inform the establishment of a National Social Innovation Fund (NSIF) to be created through the Programme for Government 2025. That Programme for Government includes the following:
Following from this Mayo Social has engaged with a range of stakeholders and interest groups across the county in order to explore the potential for innovation in addressing significant challenges relating to older people; the most notable of which is to maintain and enhance social connectedness which is widely acknowledged as a significant contributor to wellbeing as people age. Notable activities to date include:
Analysis of data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) for a report by a consortium of area-based partnerships and national NGOs was presented to the ational Economic & Social Council in 2013 and published in a report in 2014.2 The port stated that ‘The purpose of services for older people is to improve well-being and these services are more likely to be effective if aligned with the known determinants of well-being’. Detailed analysis of TILDA data presented in the report indicated that the largest and most significant direct determinants of personal wellbeing among older people involve social connections; notably the quality of relationships with partners, children, relatives and friends as well as an active participative lifestyle. On the basis of this analysis the report suggested that ‘services for older people, as currently funded by the HSE … may not adequately reflect all, or even the most important, risk and protective factors affecting personal well-being’. The report also suggested that ‘while hospital and residential services to meet the needs of older people are important, they may have assumed disproportionate importance relative to the social connections which sustain the well-being of older people in their home environment. This, in turn, invites reflection on the question of whether the right services are being commissioned in all cases, and whether there is need to create a more innovative stream of commissioning..’
The planning of the Mayo Social project is informed by the research and consultation process linked to the report referred to above and by a RED C Public Opinion Poll3 which showed significant levels of public support for more innovative approaches to support and care of older people. It is also being informed by a recent RED C Public Opinion Poll (November 2025) which indicates that 90% of Irish adults believe housing with supports for older people is urgently needed, with nearly 60% saying very urgently. This sentiment spans all demographics, especially urban dwellers. The finding underscores a strong public mandate for accelerated development of supported housing and integrated ageing-in-place policies. Interestingly it also shows that while older people are notably less concerned about the impact of storms and floods on relocating, with the exception of older residents in rural areas, this is a concern for almost 1 in 4 Mayo residents.
Linking all of the above is a desire to promote ‘wrap around’ as opposed to ‘send around’ services and a strong sense that the social needs associated with an ageing society, most especially social connectedness and inclusion, must be linked to economic opportunities within communities which are expected to provide support in meeting social needs. There is also a growing realisation that the tradition of volunteering on which many voluntary social services, such as meals-on-wheels, care and repair etc rely is being challenged by the ageing process itself, changing social and economic patterns, a growing and more mobile population and increased regulation and compliance. Allied to this is an emerging awareness that the many waves and layers of government and EU initiatives and programmes that have grown over the years may, in some way, be creating a diminishing marginal utility with each successive wave contributing more to complexity than to outcomes.
This proposal from Mayo Social takes as its basic starting point the EU Commissions’ definition4 of social inclusion as “a process ensuring that individuals at risk of poverty or social exclusion gain the resources and opportunities necessary to participate fully in economic, social, and cultural life. It focuses on enabling a normal standard of living, enhancing well-being, and guaranteeing access to essential services like housing, education, and healthcare”. This general understanding of social inclusion is regarded as particularly important in the context of the cohort of older persons who require additional supports for daily living.
Mayo Social now wishes to develop a social inclusion project to assess the current state of social supports and services available to older people through voluntary organisations in Co. Mayo and the potential to promote social connectedness through greater integration and innovation.
To develop a profile of existing community-based Meals-on-Wheels, transport, visitation / befriending, care and repair, housing with supports and related voluntary supports and services for older people in Mayo and assess the potential for better integration of supports at local level in order to more effectively reflect core social inclusion principles as well as ensuring sustainability based on current and possibly more innovative approaches.
To assess the potential impact of reduced levels of volunteering in the voluntary social service area, address practical barriers to the retention and recruitment of volunteers and identify the value of the current levels of voluntary inputs in a range of scenarios.
To establish the extent to which existing community based (voluntary) social services, local development organisations and approved housing bodies in the county already provide a range of services that support the wellbeing of older people and the issues which need to be addressed to enable the expansion of services which have most impact on wellbeing in specific parts of the county.
To consider the extent to which existing community hospital facilities and congregated care settings already provide a range of services (or have retreated from providing them since the Covid-19 epidemic) and the potential to deliver more if the network of community hospitals was strengthened and better resourced.
To explore the extent to which existing infrastructure – such as sports clubs, day centres, residential care and training services with kitchen facilities, pubs, café, hotels etc, could be used to as venues for collective dining experiences for older people currently receiving and eating meals alone.
To explore the extent to micro-transport solutions might be required to facilitate a wider choice of social and nutritional experiences and enhance social connectedness among older people.
To identify the influenceable factors which might encourage the development of optimal catchment areas; including catchment areas which could strengthen and promote Irish speaking in gaeltacht and fior-gaeltacht areas.
To explore the potential to extend existing voluntary nutrition services and catering facilities focused on older people to other outlets such as schools.
Phase1: Development of a framework for a demonstrator project through a report which addresses the main tasks and questions outlined above and is focused on social innovations that could be tested over a specific period at county level and then replicated in other areas of the country.
Timeframe April – December 2026. Funding requirement €50,000
Depending on the outcome of Phase 1 a further extended phase has the potential to be developed. This could involve a Call for Expressions of Interest from consortia of organisations in the county to engage with a Demonstrator Project as a tested for a range of social innovations which would have the potential to be replicated in other areas and be sustainable over at least a 5 year timeframe. This could facilitate implementation of the learning nationally through a National Social Innovation Fund developed in accordance with Terms of Reference agreed by Government, the HSE, Mayo County Council, Mayo Social and other stakeholders and informed by the Programme for Government.
Mayo Social believes that the Dept of Rural & Community Development and the Gaeltacht could use such a report and framework for a demonstrator project to address key commitments in the Programme for Government and departmental priorities with regard to social inclusion and older people, housing with supports, social enterprise and rural development at a national level. Any funding awarded for Phase 1 would be governed through Mayo Co Council (Community, Integration, Tourism & Leisure) which is a key supporter of and participant in the work of Mayo Social.
