National Senior Help Line number is 1850 440 444

The freezing weather conditions failed to halt January’s Youghal and District Community Alert meeting on. Jack Dempsey welcomed the attendance on his inaugural occasion as chairman. By Christy Parker Email: news@youghalonline.com

The first item brought an administrative clarification whereby discretion was afforded to the committee to use their discretion to spend up to €100 of the group’s finances on relevant goods or services should ever it be deemed necessary. Expenditure over that amount would require seeking authorisation from a general meeting.

Emphasis on elderly

January’s gathering focused strongly on protection for the elderly. Garda Sergeant John Sharkey drew attention to distributed leaflets that advertised a Senior Help Line. He described this new, national-based service as “manned by elderly people for elderly people.”

The help line puts callers in touch with their peers and may be considered particularly helpful for those living alone, seeking advice or a friendly chat or generally desiring social contact. It runs 365 days a year from 10am to 4pm and from 7pm to 10pm. The number is 1850 440 444 and cost the same as a local call. “We’re keen to have the number distributed directly to as many elderly people as possible in the Youghal area or to their families, neighbours and friends who may do so,” stressed the sergeant.

Sergeant Sharkey also reminded the attendance that some high visibility vests remained available for the general public and can be acquired from the garda station. The remaining goods are predominantly large sized but were described as tight fitting nonetheless, especially when worn over jackets, etc.

Maintaining the emphasis on the elderly, the sergeant said all Garda authorities were anxious that contact between gardai and senior citizens be sustained, especially as inclement weather can cause severe difficulties. He pointed out that recently appointed Community Garda Peter Queally was in the process of compiling a list of names and phone numbers of elderly people in the area. However data protection laws forbade many community organisations from divulging this information and he asked that information on any elderly person who might be considered in need of a garda visit, whether for a chat or more practical assistance, be forwarded to the gardai or Garda Queally personally.

The icy weather may have departed but then again it may well return. The sergeant delivered some motoring advice in respect of icy conditions, including checking road conditions in advance of travelling either by consulting the garda website or from the station. Driving in low gears was also advocated as was, basically, driving slowly.

Crime figures

Crime figures since the previous month’s meeting were reflected low, probably influenced by the adverse weather. The statistics as given by sergeant Sharkey read as:

Thefts: (6); Lidl’s (1) Tesco’s (2) private residences Store Street (2), private residence in Walter Raleigh vicinity (1)

Minor Assaults (3); Tesco’s (2), Nealon’s Quay (1)

Criminal Damage (9); Duncoran, Seafield Estate, South Abbey, Gort Aoibhinn, Blackwater Heights, Magner’s Hill, Harbour View, Tallow Road, and Carlton Village.

Drink Driving (3); Cork Hill, Millfield Abbey and North Cross Lane.

Burglary (2): Timeless Jewellers; Kilcoran Road (elderly person)

Drug Arrests (4); Claycastle, North Main Street, Tallow Street and at Youghal garda station (non resident presumably!)

Opportunism

The chairman illustrated how the cold weather presented criminals with opportunity. He said drivers sometimes tend to leave engines running but unattended momentarily, by way of heating their cars. Thieves were regularly taking advantage of this lapse to steal the vehicles. “It may be unlikely to happen around here but its as well to be aware of it,” he advised.

Mr. Dempsey then inquired whether updated personal alarms or the funding for same, were yet available. He said the devices in mind were “similar to a watch” and worked on the same principal as those worn round one’s neck. Sergeant Sharkey said funding, as reported by Michael Ahern TD at a previous meeting, was expected to be reintroduced in the last budget, but seemingly was not. A local TD up the country was calling for it to be restored following a recent attack on an elderly person in their vicinity, he added.

On the beat

The chairman commended the gardai for their increased presence on the street. He recalled seeing two gardai walking on Tallow Street and happening on a traffic congestion situation that ere quickly able to alleviate. “I’ve even seen a garda on patrol near St Raphael’s!,” he said, suitably impressed. He added, “It’s very reassuring to see the uniform on the streets.” His sentiments were echoed from the floor, with one speaker equally delighted that a garda had “actually walked” through his estate recently. “Its great. People were commenting on it,” he declared.

Reflecting how rural policing has altered (many would say diminished) in Ireland over recent decades, Sergeant Sharkey was asked as to how this novel method of policing had come about! Were there plenty of gardai in the station nowadays?  (One might have imagined some sort of station overflow, by which gardai were somehow spilling onto the streets from whence they were obliged to walk to keep warm!) The sergeant said numbers were at a satisfactory level although replacements for gardai retiring in the coming years may not be forthcoming. “But we don’t intend to let anyone be transferred unless they are replaced,” he insisted.

Worth attending

Meanwhile the chairman felt moved to reassure all present that their attendance was highly relevant. “There will be times when we will question whether we are justified in coming to meetings,” he began. “But it is always worthwhile,” he proceeded, before explaining that if even one person in the year was saved from becoming a crime victim or one other person dissuaded from committing a crime, then everything was justified.

Mr Dempsey further stressed that anyone in attendance should never feel anything they may wish to say is unimportant. He advised that in some cases, it might be preferable not to wait until the Any Other Business slot at the end of the meeting, when people may be about to leave, before airing their point. “Come to me or the secretary in advance even and we’ll put it on the agenda,” he promised.

Help and the plight of the elderly.

The agenda came full circle when a man in attendance informed Community Garda Peter Queally that he would be willing to led voluntary assistance to elderly people, such as grass or wood cutting, window washing, etc., The gesture was gratefully appreciated and accepted. Garda Queally suggested that a few more similar volunteers, perhaps given designated areas, would be of enormous benefit to his work and to the elderly community. “It would also serve to reassure older people,” he observed.

The garda proceeded that he was endeavouring to compile his list of elderly citizens and trying to prioritise who most needed visitors. He hoped to seek help from retired gardai amongst others, to assist this work.

Finally, the plight of many elderly people was exemplified by two poignant testimonies delivered towards the meeting’s conclusion. One spoke of a woman who bid farewell to a shop assistant one recent weekend and remarked how she would probably not have company again until the following weekend. Her adult children were generally “too busy” to call to her. A second story concerned a woman who lingered at another retail outlet most days, simply to find company.

As the chairman said, it’s always worthwhile attending the community alert meetings.

The next one is on Tuesday February 2nd and every first Tuesday thereafter, at the Walter Raleigh as always. Meetings start at 7.45 and last an hour at most.