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Introduction
A major element of the Housing & Corporate Directorate’s work programme for 2020 was determined by the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. In early 2020 a Business Continuity Plan was developed which identified the critical essential services which the Council would have to maintain in the event of a full-scale pandemic, resources required, the potential risks to delivery of these services and contingency plans.
Complying with Public Health / social distancing advices represented a major challenge, and the Council succeeded in rapidly rolling out home working capability to the extent that about 80% of office based staff were working from home at the height of the restrictions. Extensive measures were required in the work-place to ensure a safe environment for staff and members of the public calling to our offices. A number of staff were also re-assigned on a temporary basis to assist the HSE in front-line activities.
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In the immediate aftermath of the Government’s announcement in March 2020, our Corporate Services Section worked with staff in Community & Economic Development to establish a Community Support Forum and Helpline as a resource for elderly or vulnerable people in our community. The success of this initiative was due to an excellent partnership between key agencies and a network of local volunteers.
We also worked together with the Cathaoirleach and Elected members to review arrangements for hosting meetings, and over the course of the year this evolved from holding our meetings ‘off-site’ to hosting hybrid meetings, with a number of councillors and staff in the Council Chamber and others attending virtually.
While we had to re-prioritise the Directorate’s work programme, it was a busy and productive year for our Housing Section. The Council’s target under the Five year Housing Capital programme 2017-2021 is to provide 384 dwellings, and 2020 saw the completion of the 28-unit scheme in Knappagh Road, Sligo; bringing the outturn at the end of 2020 to 273 dwellings. Other schemes have progressed in 2020 and are due for completion in 2021 which include a rural dwelling at Crowagh, a five unit development at Sea Road, Sligo, in association with Newgrove Housing Association, a ten unit scheme in Dromore West and a ten unit development in Tubbercurry.
