Debate contribution: Loneliness Strategy

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 29 April 2024.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

29 April 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Loneliness Strategy

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4486544

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I appreciate all the contributions and the fact that Members have indicated their support for the motion. In particular, I appreciate the contributions from Members who are on the all-party group on ageing and older people and the all-party group on preventing loneliness. A number of weeks' work went into getting the motion on to the agenda today, and it is important that we did that. I also thank the Ulster Unionist Party for allowing me to make the winding-up speech on the motion. That again shows the cross-party support, in which I include that of independent MLAs, for the motion. I also thank the sector, particularly the British Red Cross and Age NI, for informing the debate. Loneliness is not just a feeling. It is not just a brief and temporary feeling of being alone when you would rather not be, and it is not something that passes or that everybody experiences from time to time. Rather, loneliness is a debilitating condition that can affect anyone regardless of age, background or circumstance. We heard from Members who said that recent data has shown that one in five — 19% — of all people in Northern Ireland have reported feeling lonely at some point in time. That is over 360,000 individuals. Ms Egan said that people aged 75 and above in Northern Ireland report significantly higher rates of loneliness compared with people in other age groups, and we have heard heartbreaking accounts. Mr Butler, in his opening remarks, talked about the elderly lady who came into the shop once a week. Perhaps that was her only opportunity to speak to someone once a week, or perhaps even once a month or over a number of months. Surely that is enough to compel the Government to develop a cross-departmental strategy immediately to address a pervasive issue that affects so many. The pandemic certainly drew attention to loneliness as a growing concern. Although COVID-19 exacerbated the issue, particularly among those who were already vulnerable, such as carers, individuals with disabilities, those with a terminal illness, new parents — they were mentioned by Sinéad McLaughlin — and older people, the pandemic did not create the issue. I became a new parent last year, and, in the first number of months, I had what I suppose would be called a "Velcro baby", so I certainly was not alone, as she was always attached to me in some form. In the early hours of the morning, however, I was lonely. It was really difficult, and it brought on a form of postnatal anxiety that I still deal with all these months later. It is therefore important to recognise that, yes, we often associate loneliness with older people, but it affects people from all different backgrounds at all stages in their life. Ms McLaughlin makes a really important point about transitions, and there are huge life changes that are inevitable in the journeys that we go through.

I agree, not just on that issue but across all areas, that government needs to do more to support people in accessing support and not almost stand in their way, as some of the processes suggest. I will come to that a little bit later. Ms Hunter and Mr Butler talked about the growth of digital technology and said that, although our ability to communicate more remotely can be effective and efficient in some respects, the decline of physical communication, physical communities, local facilities and public services has led us towards living increasingly isolated lives. In-person conversations and interaction with those outside our known friend groups and family is becoming rarer, and, for too many of us, our neighbours, who were once so familiar to us, are now strangers. Loneliness is a silent epidemic with far-reaching consequences, and others have talked about how chronic loneliness — the most serious form — can be linked to a multitude of health issues, including a risk of early death, cardiovascular problems, cognitive decline and depression. Furthermore, structural factors such as transitions in living arrangements, about which we have talked, bereavement, financial strain and technological barriers all contribute to the prevalence of loneliness among our elderly population, as well as among other groups. As Mr Elliott suggested, government has perhaps inadvertently created the conditions for loneliness. There has been a failure to recognise rural needs, there is poor transport and infrastructure and there has been a defunding of community groups. We have heard Members right across the House talk about the community groups in their constituencies and the good work that they are doing, but we are hearing every day about how those community groups are not being funded from one year to the next. Therefore if government is not going to do it, we are cutting off our nose to spite our face if we do not support the groups that are already doing those things. Poor education on healthy relationships is another issue; we need to know how to talk to one another. We voted for a motion on that issue, last week, but too many Members voted against it. Waiting lists and a lack of support for parents and families are also relevant, and there is no real plan to tackle social deprivation or protect the most vulnerable in society. We are also grossly overlooking the fact that we are an ageing population. There is no consideration of how our fast-changing demographic is impacting services and people. Others have mentioned the demographic. We do not have an active ageing strategy, and, 10 years from now, the problems that we are experiencing today will have increased tenfold.

Yes, as elected representatives, all of us have probably experienced that. When we chat to someone, they want to bring you in for a cup of tea. It was referenced in the most recent series of 'Blue Lights' when the police officers were persuaded to stay at a person's home. Again, that is having an impact on services. You want to know where our police officers are: they are doing the jobs that other public services have not been able to do. I am making the point that loneliness is not the responsibility of one Minister or one Department. It requires a whole-of-government approach, beginning with a Programme for Government, which we do not yet have, and, within that document, a commitment to develop a strategy for loneliness and active ageing. It is important to reiterate the point that Mr Butler made at the outset, as did Mr McGrath. It is disappointing that no Minister felt that this issue was important enough to respond to. I appreciate that there is debate about where the issue should sit, but going by the contributions from all Members, whether they believe it should be Health, Communities or even the Department of Justice, strangely enough, it is an issue that should be tackled from the top. Again, we have to be mindful that we are an ageing population. If that is the group that is the most affected, why are we overlooking the issue? Despite the widespread acknowledgement of the issue and strong cross-party support — I welcome the fact that Órlaithí Flynn said that we should get that support — we remain the only part of the United Kingdom without a dedicated loneliness strategy. Therefore, I urge the Executive to take decisive action by implementing a comprehensive Northern Ireland loneliness strategy. Such a strategy must be cross-departmental, embedded in a Programme for Government — whenever we see it — and backed by committed resources and a clear time frame for development and delivery. That funding is key. Too often in the House, we talk about things. These motions are non-binding. The next action that we have to take is upholding what we agree here today, and that requires a strategy that is fully funded. In the time that I have left, I will acknowledge some of the other contributions that Members have made. Colm Gildernew recognised the importance of community transport. I agree with that, but, again, it is not just community transport within Infrastructure. Community transport is required to get to medical appointments and social situations and interactions. North Coast Community Transport in my constituency often tells me that it is given the bare minimum because funding has been cut. That goes back to my earlier point. Harry Harvey, rightly, recognises the input of the faith community in supporting these issues. Sometimes, as we move away from faith and church, we forget about the social opportunities that those types of things facilitate. Connie Egan, who represents North Down, talked about chatty benches. I also acknowledge Translink. You might be familiar with its chatty carriage in which they bring together people on a journey along the north coast, which is probably the nicest route — it is in my constituency — to talk about various issues. I acknowledge what Alan Robinson said about some of the great community organisations in East Londonderry, which is also my constituency, that are providing these facilities. I found it interesting that he accused the Health Minister of not doing anything, but most of his contribution was about Communities. Again, it is not a criticism; it is a recognition that this extends beyond one Minister or one Department. Lastly, I will make a point about what Sinéad McLaughlin said about immigrants.

That is 100%. Thank you.

1,564 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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