Latest press release from Wicklow County Council, issued on Tuesday, March 31st 2020…

At the instigation of the Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government, Mr Eoghan Murphy, a COVID-19 Community Response Forum will be put in place for each City/County and co-ordinated by the Local Authority in each case.

A dedicated community support helpline will be established in Wicklow 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 service is being established by the new COVID-19 County Wicklow 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 County Wicklow Community Response Forum are:

Wicklow County Council
The Health Service Executive
An Garda Síochána
Local Community Development Committee
The Public Participation Network
An Post
Local Link
Citizens Information Services
Community Development Organisations
Other community, voluntary and sports representatives

The new phoneline 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. Wicklow County Council, through this group, will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across the county to assist those in need will do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way.

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.

Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Frank Curran, explains: “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 Wicklow 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 the County during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Wicklow County Council is ideally placed both statutorily and regionally to channel this great work and provide the governance structure in partnership with all stakeholders. This public health crisis has changed life for so many, and we are there to help with that change. Our own 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 along with our partner agencies/groups.”

Set to come into effect from noon Tuesday 31st March, Wicklow County Council is providing a dedicated FREE contact number 1800868399 with the lines open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week. Contact email address for this new service is covidsupport@wicklowcoco.ie.