Sean Duke: Lonely Ireland is not doing enough to tackle killer epidemic

Ireland is the loneliest country in the EU, but while others have appointed ministers to tackle this fatal problem, our Government has sat on its hands

An EU-wide study of loneliness conducted at the end of 2022 found that Ireland is the loneliest country in the bloc with 20% of people surveyed here reporting that they felt lonely most, or all of the time, over the past four weeks. File picture

The US Surgeon General has called loneliness a public health crisis, and an epidemic on a par with smoking and obesity. 

Ireland, which has been found to be the loneliest EU nation, is not doing enough to tackle something research has linked with heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and suicidality.