A study of single men in north Leitrim has found that a significant proportion live in substandard conditions without central heating, hot water or washing machines.
Almost half of the men surveyed had annual incomes of less than £5,000 and many did not avail of their entitlements from the State. It also found that a substantial number experienced "severe social isolation".
The report of a two-year research project, carried out by the North Leitrim Men's Group, is now to be given to various statutory agencies. It recommends that single rural men be recognised as a specific minority and says they "require a level of attention on a par with other marginalised minorities".
The co-ordinator of the men's group, Mr Pat Love, said what was most worrying was society's acceptance of these "disgraceful" conditions where people did not have basic washing facilities.
"This is happening in every county in Ireland, but it is not being spoken about. All you will hear about is a body being found and the bad conditions it was found in," he said. Mr Love started the group in 1996, and he has run an innovative community employment scheme aimed at single rural men who, he maintains, are "forgotten about" by State agencies.
He was conscious that general schemes were not accessible to men who needed them most and he argued that many of these "voiceless men" were never seen or heard until they ended up in psychiatric hospitals or on suicide lists. Rates of suicide and admissions to psychiatric hospitals are very high in Leitrim.
The research project started in 1999, and a sample of 147 men, between the ages of 35 and 65, were interviewed at their own homes. In Co Leitrim, 31 per cent of men in that age bracket are single, compared to the national figure of 18 per cent.
There is also a big imbalance between men and women, with men making up 80 per cent of all single people aged between 35 and 65.
Within the North Western Health Board area, twice as many single men than single women were admitted to hospital with mental health problems.
The principal diagnoses were alcohol disorders, depressive disorders and schizophrenia. Of all admissions, 39 per cent were unmarried males.
The survey found that while the vast majority of the men owned their own homes, many lived in poor conditions. Almost 60 per cent did not have any central heating, 30 per cent had no hot water on tap, 14 per cent had no indoor toilet and 47 per cent had no washing machine.
Most of the men relied on social welfare payments and agricultural subsidies, and 49 per cent had annual incomes of less than £5,000. A further 31 per cent had incomes of between £5,000 and £9,000.
Fifty-eight per cent had only attended primary school and most of those who left school early did so to carry out home and caring duties.
Half of all respondents had been hospitalised at some stage in their lives, 29 per cent within the past five years.
Among the issues highlighted by the research is the number of single men who have no social contact with anyone and the number who are carers in their home and have dependants.
The men were likely to have a low sense of self-esteem and did not see education and training as desirable or accessible. A high proportion of the men would have "severe difficulty in acquiring or retaining jobs".
Mr Love said the men's conditions could be improved with the right approach and this had been proven with the group's community employment scheme.
"After three years now, there is a hunger there for knowledge and bettering themselves," he said.
The group will shortly be opening a drop-in centre in Manorhamilton.
Mr Love believes State agencies such as the health boards, county councils, FAS and the VEC will have to work together more and take an inter-agency approach to help single rural men.
Along with other community leaders in Co Leitrim, he is strongly opposed to planned changes to rules governing community employment schemes.
"There is no other structure available to address the needs of these individuals. We have proved with the pilot initiative that things can happen, that the quality of life can improve, but we cannot do it by ourselves", said Mr Love.