Senior Citizens Parliament co-ordinator Pat Mellon has solutions to rural poverty

Pat Mellon from County Wicklow grew up on the family farm in the Vale of Avoca, which he now runs, and he has firm views around poverty, which is especially harsh for older people living in rural areas.

For years, he worked in rural recreation, social inclusion and social enterprise and this has equipped him well for his current role as national co-ordinator of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament (ISCP).

The national organisation has 200 affiliated organisations and 50,000 members advocating for the rights of older people and one of Pat’s priorities is to improve the lives for seniors living in rural areas.

Consistent poverty is higher in rural areas

“Rural areas have a higher rate of consistent poverty which leads to social exclusion as people struggle to participate in community life due to financial constraints and limited access to services,” he says.

“It’s also less visible than urban poverty, making it harder to address. In addition, as we have seen recently with Storm Eowyn, government policies seem to favour semi-state bodies such as the ESB focusing on the bottom line rather than the power line, leading to the most vulnerable being completely isolated. Poor infrastructure such as lack of broadband and public transport hinder overall economic development in rural areas.”

Fund communities more, increase Garda visibility and address anti-social behaviour

Rather than just criticise prevailing policies, Pat has his own ideas about tackling the challenges of rural living and lists them confidently as someone who understands the situation well.

“Fund community centres, social clubs and other initiatives that promote social inclusion and reduce isolation in rural areas,” he says.

“Provide home care services, social activities and transportation assistance for older people to combat loneliness and isolation. Increase Garda visibility and support community safety programs to address concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour,” he says.

“And encourage more collaboration between government agencies, local communities and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective solutions,” he adds

• Sharon Casey, was appointed the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament’s membership officer in February of this year. She is pictured here (2nd from left) engaged in conversation last week at the Social Inclusion Forum, held in Croke Park, with (l-to-r) Linda Walsh, County Kildare LEADER Partnership, Rita Shaughnessy, Galway City Partnership and Liz Dunne, Bray Family Resource Centre.

ISCP works at local, national and EU levels

For Pat, the quality of rural life is but one aspect of his work at the ISCP, which he proudly points out is a “non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian, member-focused and member-driven organisation.”

“Our work is to ensure that the voices of older people are heard at local, national and European levels. As we age, we become more aware of the issues that surround us and the inequalities that affect the aged sector,” he says.

“The ISCP is one of the few organisations that actually puts the needs of its members front and centre,” he claims.

He points specifically to the group’s continuing work on issues such as lobbying for an Independent Commissioner for Older People, pension equality, homecare initiatives, pension entitlements of retired workers, retraining opportunities for older people and means-tested social welfare, as well as home care.

• After 15 years of campaigning to see that retired workers have a voice when their pension income is being impacted, a bill to ensure this was moved in the Dail in October, led by then TD Brid Smith. Pat Mellon (at back, tallest) represented the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament as it campaigned with affiliated groups outside Leinster House in November.

Community development

Appointed to his position at the ISCP just over a year ago, Pat has been married to Ann for 33 years and is father to two daughters. He is a man of seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm and has been involved in community activities prior to this.

His experience includes being project manager for a Community Services Project (funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development) overseeing sixteen staff members on three different projects, as well as a resource centre manager, his duties including presenting financial reports to the Board of the Glendalough and District Development Association and supporting business development, as well as employee training. He was also a rural recreation officer in county Wicklow and a social inclusion manager, where he helped clients access community medical, housing and transportation resources.

His previous positions also included being board chairperson of Wicklow County Tourism and board member of Wicklow Uplands Council. He helped develop south Wicklow as a walking tourist destination and the Blessington Greenway and also represented Failte Ireland at International Trade Shows and Ireland at the international Adventure Travel Trade Association Conference.

Boards chairs should not overstay

Having seen what he terms “too many publicly-funded bodies exhibiting extreme governance issues where chairs and boards exist for their own egos,” he’s keen on greater oversight. “Any public funded bodies where chairs last more than five years or where unhealthy relationships exist between boards and auditors need much more public scrutiny,” he said.

The ISCP is currently seeking views from people for its pre-budget submission. You can make submissions up to May 31 by downloading this form, filling it out (5 minutes) and returning by post or email.