COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 10, 2021

QUESTION NO. 26

QUESTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

Approximately this time last year a Covid19 committee was set up in SDCC. This committee provided regular updates to all members. Could the Chief Executive confirm what has happened to this committee since and if the Chief Executive could confirm if this committee is still in existence.

REPLY:

The South Dublin Community Response Forum was convened in March 2020 with representation from the following the Council along with the Mayor, Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána, Tusla, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, South Dublin County Partnership, An Post, South Dublin Volunteer Centre, Dublin Civil Defence, ALONE, Dublin GAA, Tus Nua / Older Persons Council, Public Participation Network, Local Traveller Support Groups and Crosscare.

This forum was established to lead the co-ordination of COVID-19 community supports and resilience in the initial lockdown particularly in ensuring that targeted supports and assistance were provided to vulnerable groups and individuals in the County.  A dedicated Community Call helpline was  established and the forum met regularly from March to July 2020 with updates provided to the Elected Members.  As enduring local community supports were established together with the ongoing Community Call service, the forum agreed that it would stand down in July and convene again as necessary depending on the circumstances and activity on the helpline.

The ongoing helpline supports coupled with the Keep Well campaign have maintained the forum supports throughout the pandemic and a further forum meeting was convened in March 2021 primarily to discuss supports for the national vaccination roll-outs among the public and voluntary sectors and also to get input and updates from forum members.  It was noted at this meeting that ongoing forum meetings were not considered necessary given the very low level of helpline requests but that the forum could be convened again as required.