6 June 2020
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Cork County Council’s online customer service portal ‘Your Council’ has made a raft of new adaptive and creative services available in response to the evolving needs and challenges posed by our new way of living alongside Covid 19.
From simplifying business grant applications to sharing good news stories across the county to a lovely new service that lets you personalise your own thank you greeting card for someone you feel deserves appreciation. There are now more services than ever available on www.YourCouncil.ie and Gaelgeoirs can choose to avail of all services trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Since the beginning of March, more than 4,000 people have registered with yourcouncil.ie to avail of a host of services online.
Following the announcement of the national Business Restart Grant, YourCouncil.ie developed an online application form for the fund, which is available to assist small businesses with the costs associated with re-opening and re-employing workers following COVID-19 closures. Over 1,300 applications for the Business Restart Fund have already been received.
Around 4,300 Community Support Calls were handled through the new digital service, 500 applications came in for the 5K photo competition and approximately a hundred applications for the Community Emergency Fund were processed through the service.
All the regular online services available through yourcouncil.ie continued and ranged from over 1,700 Roads and Footpaths requests, over 2,300 Housing Repair Requests, over 1,170 Housing Representations by elected members and more than 350 online applications for Cork County Council jobs.
The Council’s Covid 19 Community Response Programme has highlighted a host of voluntary, community and statutory groups who have come to the fore in supporting the most vulnerable. Cork County Council wants you to share these acts of kindness, tales of community solidarity and remarkable individuals, in order to convey the many positive things happening in our communities. New features on www.YourCouncil.ie invite members of the public to submit ‘Good News Stories’, a selection of which will be shared on the Council’s website and across social media platforms. While, a personalised email “Thank You” card service allows anyone to quickly create a personalised Thank You message of positivity to someone who has helped them during this challenging time.
The outgoing Mayor of the County of Cork, Councillor Ian Doyle commented
“In these times of social distancing, digital services have become an increasing necessity for our citizens. Cork County Council’s extensive online service offering has long been a popular and well utilised resource and I am pleased to see the ongoing expansion of www.YourCouncil.ie in response to the needs of our communities. These new service will allow members of the public to work alongside the Council, while also providing a platform to highlight some of the tremendous community effort that has come to the fore in recent times. Everyone appreciates a Thank You.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added
Tim Lucey is the Chief Executive of Cork County Council. His County has the largest road network in Ireland
“Cork County Council is a proactive and innovative local authority, demonstrated by its flexible and adaptive approach to these unprecedented circumstances. We have succeeded in providing efficient continuity of service across the board and have added to our range of online services. Our Community Support Programme is meeting the wellbeing needs of our citizens while our Project ACT is ensuring the reactivation of our local economies in our County towns. This series of new services available online are all elements of our adaptive approach to the current crisis.”
Over 120 services are available on Cork County Council’s online customer service portal at www.YourCouncil.ie
Cork County Council COVID-19 Community Support Programme assists those in need with non-medical, non-health related issues that have arisen as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. Persons seeking assistance can freephone 1800 805 819 daily from 9am to 5pm, text 085 870 9010 or email covidsupport@corkcoco.ie.
