Almost 50,000 older people are living in loneliness, with minimal social contacts and a limited social network, according to a new report.
Isolation among older people is greatest among the over-80s, single or widowed women, the poor and ill-educated, the report from the National Council on Ageing and Older People says.
Those living in rented accommodation or with relatives in rural areas are also at greater risk of social isolation.
However, it finds that most older people (73 per cent) are not socially isolated and are part of a support network that includes family, friends and neighbours.
Older people in Ireland are also less likely to live alone and more likely to live with relatives than their counterparts in other European countries. For 80 per cent of older people, their nearest relative lives within five miles.
The report, Loneliness and Social Isolation among Older Irish People, also finds significantly higher levels of "romantic loneliness" - the need for an intimate relationship - among older women than men.
It outlines a number of factors which serve to increase isolation, ranging from poor health, bad weather, fear of the dark, poor roads and lack of transport.
The chairwoman of the council, EibhlíByrne, warned that the problem would get worse as the proportion of older people in the population grew and as traditional supports, such as the churches, diminished in importance. At present, 90 per cent of older people say they attend religious meetings.
Ms Byrne called for more resources to support older people but added that "the impersonal hand of government is no substitute for the friendly hand of communities and neighbours".
She said that while people working in modern society were very busy, this was an inadequate excuse for not helping older people. However, the issue of public liability insurance needed to be tackled because "compo culture" had a significant negative impact on people's willingness to volunteer to help the old.
The loneliest older people, she added, tended to be those who had already suffered disadvantage throughout their lives.
Loneliness tends to increase with age, with events such as sudden bereavement, separation, illness and retirement acting as triggers.
The study was based on a telephone survey of 683 older people, together with in-depth and focus group interviews. It was carried out for the council by the UCD school of nursing and midwifery.
Currently, 435,000 people are aged 65 and over, representing 11.2 per cent of the population.
