Suspension of rural Mayo meals-on-wheels service is slammed

The overnight suspension of a meals-on-wheels service in a rural Mayo town has been described as ‘bureaucracy gone mad’.

Aontú Councillor Paul Lawless said he is disgusted by the “overnight suspension” of the service that so many elderly and vulnerable people in the Ballindine area rely on.

He stated: “The service is under the remit of the Department of Social Protection.

"There are two wonderful ladies on the RRS Scheme (Rural Social Development Scheme) for the Mayo South Development Company who are working there for years, 16 and 8 years respectively.

“They were means tested recently and as a result of being just a few euro over the income threshold, the scheme was cut overnight.

"There was little thought for the elderly and vulnerable people who need and greatly rely on this service”.

“They were not even notified of the scheme’s suspension which is almost unbelievable.

"The service is run on a three-day basis, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with lunches being given to people for the days in between so effectively, older people had prepared food for five days.

“It is absolutely shocking. So many people depended on this service, and it gave them a huge layer of added security knowing the ladies were calling to them.

"It was part of their routine and to have it pulled overnight with no explanation to them is absolutely shameful.

“Meals-on-wheels isn’t just about the food, it is about the interaction between human beings and at a time when loneliness is a huge issue, it is inexplicable how this valuable community service could be cut overnight.

Councillor Lawless is seeking a meeting with the South West Mayo Development company who run the scheme as a matter of urgency to the service restored.