Ireland has been named as the loneliest country in Europe.
New research from the European Commission has found 20% of people in Ireland feel lonely most or all of the time, compared to the EU average of 13%.
The study shows an increase in people suffering the adverse mental and physical effects of being isolated since the pandemic.
The findings have prompted the Loneliness Taskforce to call for greater support services for those who feel isolated in society.
It says loneliness leads to poor mental health and is often a precursor to depression.
The charity ALONE, which supports older people, is one of the taskforce's members.
CEO of ALONE, Sean Moynihan says the State must protect the most vulnerable.
"In some cases, there are areas where we probably need more research.
"In other cases where we create plans and interventions across all age groups that is specifically aimed at reducing loneliness, rather than a situation where we count anything where people get extra company as combating loneliness".
