Minister O’Brien thanks Fingal Community Call Forum

          -Community Call helplines and contact emails still available for those in
                        need of social  supports due to the Pandemic-
 
Local Minister Darragh O’Brien has thanked the Fingal County Council Community Call Forum for providing vital practical supports, such as the collection and delivery of essential food and medicines to those cocooning, as well as support for those experiencing isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in March, all 31 local authorities were asked to establish a Community Response forum to work with State agencies and community and voluntary groups to provide supports and services to any vulnerable person who needed them during the pandemic.
Nationally, over 53,000 calls have been answered in just over four months with 21,000 follow up calls made to citizens. In Fingal, 665 volunteers, many of them from the local GAA clubs, answered the call to volunteer.
Minister O’Brien said, “I would like to thank Fingal County Council, all of the state agencies, and the community and voluntary sector for their ongoing work as part of the Community Call Forum.
“I would also like to encourage any person in Fingal, who is vulnerable or feeling isolated during this pandemic to reach out and seek help.  
“Since the Fora were established in late March - at the height of the crisis, they have responded with great energy and a cooperative spirit to provide vital supports to people in need in our communities.
“Whether it was an isolated individual needing a meal delivered to them, someone in a remote part of the country needing transport or a vulnerable person living alone needing a reassuring voice at the other end of the ‘phone, the Community Call Fora have responded.
“I want to acknowledge and thank everyone for their work. I also want to thank the charity ALONE for the incredible work they do year round, but particularly in helping vulnerable people across Ireland throughout this crisis,” he concluded.