Covid-19 type community response team model copied to help Ukraine refugees in Laois

A community initiative taken to respond to Covid-19 in Laois and other counties is being restarted to respond to ensure services are co-ordinated to respond to the needs of Ukrainian refugees.

The Government has announced that Community Response Forums are being established in every local authority area to coordinate local responses to the Ukraine crisis.

There had already been an informal meeting under the auspices of Laois County Council of local agencies who would be at the coalface of organising response. While the local authority and agencies have been active in providing response, no definitive model had been outlined from Goverment.

Now, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien and the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys have written to local authorities setting out a template for arrangements to be in place in each area.

A statement from the Department of Rural and Community Development said that building on structures and relationships during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Community Response Fora will enable all those involved to work together under the stewardship of the local authority.

It added that supplementing the supports and services being provided by government agencies at a local level, the purpose of the fora will be to ensure effective communication and information sharing in the coordination of local community and voluntary actions in providing community supports to the new Ukrainian communities.

Laois County Councillor Thomasina Connell had called for a response team to be set up.

"It is clear that Local Authorities are best placed to do this as they are familiar with the wide range of services in their local area and can deliver this information quickly and effectively. 

"We as a Council need to streamline these essential services where possible, being the provision of accommodation, medical care and education and deal with these issues expeditiously. Similarly, Laois County Council must immediately offer support for Ukrainians with English language support. They are permitted to work straight away and a co-ordinated approach with the Chamber of Commerce and Intreo would be beneficial.  

"We need a structured approach to this as we anticipate the number of Ukrainians arriving to increase, possibly dramatically increase in the coming months. 

"Re-establishing a modified grouping of our previous Covid Response Forum at this stage would centralise our response to this crisis and support and prioritise those who have now arrived in Co. Laois. The Council needs to urgently dedicate resources to deal with this crisis and ringfence these for a period of upwards of six months," she said.

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The Ministers welcomed welcomed the establishment of Fora.

“These local forums worked very well during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic response and are best placed to put arrangements in place to help the new arrivals from Ukraine access services,” said Minister Humphreys.

“Right across Government, we are doing all we can to assist Ukrainian nationals who have fled this devastating war. This approach at local level is a key part of our overall efforts and will be so important in the weeks and months to come,” she added. 

Minister O’Brien said local authorities are stepping up once again to lead the local response to what is a very complex and rapidly evolving situation. 

"They will coordinate local efforts very effectively and ensure that every effort is made to welcome new arrivals from Ukraine into our communities,” he said.

Minister of State for Communities and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD elaborated further. 

“Each Forum will work to harness the goodwill and assistance available within our communities, including the resources of the community and voluntary sector to manage offers of assistance to ensure that the often complex needs of those arriving are met,” he said..  

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD added that the Forum will bring together all of the public, community and voluntary organisations active locally, as well as the Cathaoirleach or Mayor of each local authority.  It will also be of central importance that members of the local Ukrainian community are fully involved,” he said.

The Department of Rural and Community Development Intensive added that work has been underway across Government over the past number of weeks preparing a humanitarian response to the needs of the thousands of Ukranian people who are expected to arrive in Ireland over the coming weeks. 

It says the focus to date has been primarily on the key issues of accommodation, welfare supports and health care services. 

It added that there is also a clear need to co-ordinate the community and voluntary sector response and to start focussing on the integration supports and social supports which will be needed for this population in the medium and longer term.