Dedicated dlr community support helpline

1 Apr 2020
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Press Release:

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council mobilises local organisations to assist citizens during Covid-19 crisis

Dedicated community support helpline available Monday March 30th at (01) 271 3199

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Local Authorities country-wide have established new Covid-19 Community Response Forums in each county to assist, advise and support vulnerable citizens in their local areas. Local Authorities will coordinate this initiative across the country.

A dedicated community support helpline is now operating in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council to assist citizens, who may be at risk, to access non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice during the current public health emergency. Led by the new COVID-19 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Community Response Forum, which includes over a dozen agencies and organisations, this confidential phoneline service will focus primarily on ensuring that vulnerable members of the community, or those living alone can access deliveries of groceries, medicine and fuels.

"I welcome the new Covid-19 Forum and the Helpline and the opportunity to represent my colleagues and fellow Elected Members on this very important initiative” Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council Cathaoirleach Shay Brennan said. “We want to support everybody at this most challenging time, and as Elected Members, we particularly want to look after the more vulnerable members of our communities across the county. The Covid-19 dlr Community Response Forum intends to coordinate an overall community response that will enable local voluntary organisations and statutory agencies to collaborate in support of our communities and our more vulnerable citizens, whether that is collecting medication and food shopping for them, or giving them social support and contact”.

While the new phoneline is just one aspect of the Covid-19 dlr Community Response Forum’s work, its core aim is to contribute to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Working with this group, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will ensure that the wide variety of groups assisting those in need does so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way.

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is ideally placed to channel this positive effort and provide the governance structure to implement it in partnership with our stakeholders” said Chief Executive, Philomena Poole, who is chairing the Covid-19 dlr Community Response Forum which was established over the weekend by the Council. “This public health crisis has changed life for so many, and we are there to help people deal with the many challenges they face. Our own staff, whose day-jobs have also changed will be a key resource in the management and operation of this community support programme, along with our partner agencies and voluntary groups”.

 

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