To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) the opportunities for older people living in rural areas, in particular in East Londonderry, to access help and support to improve online skills such as (a) cyber security; and (b) online banking; and (ii) how he is ensuring that older people are not disadvantaged in terms of accessing goods, services and facilities due to a lack of this knowledge.

DIGITAL INCLUSION

My Department has a small Digital Inclusion Unit to promote online services and to give people here the skills, confidence, motivation and trust to navigate the online world. The aim is to promote a digitally inclusive society and increase the use of online channels to access our public services through a range of projects by working in close partnership with a number of public and private organisations to help digitally excluded people get online.

The Digital Inclusion team’s current Go ON NI programme enables the public to use Government services online. The programme has been very successful, and it continues to grow by targeting events and promotional activities at the harder to reach digitally excluded sections of the population here.

These key groups include:

•rural communities

•those aged over 50

•people with physical or mental impairment

•socio-economic disadvantaged communities

•long-term unemployed

The Go ON NI programme ensures rural and older communities are not excluded from accessing information and services by working with various organisations to recruit digital champions, providing tuition, and detailing the help that is available to assist these communities in accessing online services. The programme provides free digital training sessions in libraries, community centres and hubs.

These digital skills sessions can help anyone go online for the first time or improve their skills. The Digital Inclusion Team are also pro-active members of the Digital Assist Steering Group, a cross-sectoral body chaired by Business in the Community which helps ensure that government services are not delivered in isolation through appropriate interaction with organisations from across the private, voluntary and community sectors. There is also a working partnership with the Age Friendly Networks in all council areas.

A number of events have taken place recently, including sessions in Dungiven (Glor Hall) and in Limavady Library. The three events in Dungiven covered online shopping, online safety and a session with Danske Bank.

During Positive ageing month and Get Online week in October 2023, as well as Spring Online week in May 2024, digital information events were held in several libraries. In addition, all 96 libraries run Go ON & GOT IT sessions which are free to attend, throughout the year.

My Department also has responsibility for the NI Cybersecurity Centre, which works with public, private, third sector organisations and citizens to improve their ability to defend against cyber attacks, increase their knowledge of cyber threats, and become more cyber resilient. The website contains useful advice and guidance to help improve cyber security awareness for the general public.

We recognise that public services are increasingly moving towards the provision of information and delivery of services through online, web-based and digital platforms, and the Digital Inclusion team aims to help and support people through this transition.

For more information on digital inclusion activities, please contact officials in the Digital Inclusion team at future@finance-ni.gov.uk