Mallow based Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea (Ind) today (19th December 2010) called on the public to unite around their elderly relatives and neighbours during the current cold spell.
Communities right across the county need to remain vigilant in the coming days, particularly in respect to vulnerable people and people living alone in rural areas. Some people may become isolated in their own homes for many days without adequate access to food, fuel and in some cases essential medication.
Cllr. O’ Shea said “From the experience of previous unprecedented cold weather last month where I came across a variety of difficult and unfortunate circumstances, we cannot under estimate the scale of the problem facing isolated and older people, especially those who live alone and do not have relatives nearby during this current weather. This is more prevalent in remote areas of the county but is also a major challenge in our local villages and towns”.
Cllr. O’ Shea urged people who find themselves in this situation and who maybe running out of urgent supplies to make contact with a neighbour, relative or the Garda Siochana so that they can arrange for them to receive the necessary supplies.
