Wexford County Council takes the lead in joining together local organisations to assist citizens during Covid-19 Community support Call Centre and Helpline to be available from Monday

County Wexford Chamber

Press Release Issued by Wexford County Council on 28 March 2020 

At the instigation of Minister Murphy, a Covid-19 Community Response Forum is being put in place for each City/County, co-ordinated by the Local Authority in each case.  A dedicated community support call centre has been established by Wexford 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 Call Centre is being established by the new COVID-19 Wexford Community Response Forum, which includes over a dozen agencies and organisations, all 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 in assisting those that may be vulnerable and that all local, voluntary and statutory bodies collaborate in support of our communities and particularly of our most vulnerable members.

Members of the COVID-19 Wexford Community Response Forum include

  • Wexford County Council
  • Health Service Executive
  • An Garda Síochána
  • Wexford GAA
  • Wexford IFA
  • Wexford Community Welfare Service
  • An Post
  • Tusla
  • Community Welfare Service
  • Wexford Local Development
  • Red Cross
  • Civil Defence
  • Wexford Public Participation Network
  • Wexford Age Friendly Network
  • Local Link Wexford
  • Wexford Citizen’s Information
  • Alone
  • Representatives of the migrant community
  • Representatives of Religious Organisations

The new Call Centre and associated helpline is just one aspect of the Forum’s work, with its core aim is to contribute to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Through the Forum, Wexford County Council will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across the county to assist those in need do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way, making the very best use of the many resources available to assist vulnerable persons with their daily needs at this unprecedented time, whether that is collecting medication, food and fuel shopping, or social support and contact.

Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, Tom Enright, 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 our role in Wexford County Council 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.

Wexford 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 many partner agencies/groups from all across the county.

Set to come into effect from Monday 30th March, Wexford County Council is providing a Community Support Call Centre Helpline  053 91 96000 with the lines open from 9:00am to 5:00pm seven days a week”.

Contact details of this new service will be promoted through local radio, local press, through the Council’s website and on social media. An information leaflet including the helpline number and other information will also be distributed around the county and to vulnerable households over the coming days.