At the instigation of Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, a Covid-19 Community Response Forum has been put in place for each county and will be co-ordinated by the Local Authority in each case.
A dedicated community support helpline has been established in Mayo County Council to assist at-risk members of the public in accessing non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice during the current public health emergency.
The confidential phoneline was established by the new COVID-19 Mayo County Council Community Response Forum, which includes over a dozen agencies and organisations. The helpline is focused primarily on ensuring that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access deliveries of groceries, medicine and fuels.
The role of the Forum is to ensure that there is a co-ordinated community response and to enable all voluntary statutory agencies to collaborate in support of our communities and particularly of our most vulnerable members.
Included in the COVID-19 Mayo County Council Community Response Forum are; Mayo County Council; Health Service Executive; An Garda Síochána and other community, voluntary and sports representatives.
The new phone line is just one aspect of the forum’s work. Its core aim is contributing to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Mayo County Council through this group, will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across Mayo to assist those in need, will do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way. The phoneline will be open from 8am to 8pm daily and can be contacted on (094 ) 9064660 or by email at [email protected].
The Council’s COVID-19 Community Response Forum is there to ensure the very best use of the many resources assisting vulnerable persons with their daily needs at this unprecedented time, whether that is collecting medication, food shopping, social support and contact.
Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Brendan Mulroy said: "This public health crisis has changed life for so many, and we are there to help with that change. The role that Mayo County Council will play in leading the Community response will ensure that there is a co-ordinated all County response in support of our communities and particularly of our most vulnerable members."
Chief Executive of Mayo County Council Peter Hynes explained: "There are a number of agencies currently doing excellent work in delivering care to older and vulnerable people in our communities.
"These groups are currently operating independently of each other and Mayo County Council’s role is to provide a targeted, integrated and coordinated approach to the delivery of these much-needed services to our more vulnerable citizens across Mayo during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Mayo County Council is ideally placed both statutorily and regionally to channel this great work and provide the governance structure in partnership with all stakeholders. Our staff whose day-jobs have changed due to this crisis, will be a key resource in the management and operation of this community support programme in collaboration with our partner agencies/groups.”
