Media Release – March 31st 2020
Roscommon County Council takes the lead with An Garda Síochána in joining together local organisations to assist citizens during Covid-19
Dedicated community support helpline now available
At the instigation of Minister Murphy a Covid-19 Community Response Forum has been in place for each City/County and co-ordinated by the Local Authority in each case.
A dedicated community support helpline has been established in Roscommon 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 Roscommon Community Response Forum, which includes numerous 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 Roscommon Community Response Forum are:
- Roscommon County Council – Including Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel;
- Health Service Executive;
- An Garda Síochána;
- Roscommon LEADER Partnership;
- An Post;
- Other community, voluntary and sports representatives.
The new helpline 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. Roscommon County Council and An Garda Síochána, 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.
The community support helpline is Freephone 1800 200 727 and support Email is covidsupport@roscommoncoco.ie. The helpline is operational seven-days-a-week from 8:00am to 8:00pm by Roscommon County Council and 8.00pm to 8.00am by An Garda Síochána.
Contact details of this new service will be promoted on:
Council websites / Twitter and Facebook and in the local media. An information leaflet including the new freephone number and other information will be distributed around the county/city, particularly to vulnerable households, over the coming days.
ENDS
