IRD DUHALLOW | PROGRESS REPORT
2020 - 2021
Manager’s Report This year has been exceptional bringing challenges unforeseen, unexpected and unplanned for, but also bringing opportunities unforeseen and thanks to the enterprising spirit of our management team these opportunities have been taken and we have new programmes to add value to our existing ones and bring an enhanced service to our communities.
Duhallow Community Laundry remained open to look after all our customers. As the majority live on their own and were isolating, we provided the add on service of collection to delivery and doing shopping and collecting prescriptions. Thanks to Anita Castle who leads the team, under strict protocols, ensuring the safety of her colleagues and customers.
I am proud of our response to the COVID-19 crisis and how well all our staff, including CSP, RSS, Tús and CE participants showed great courage and trust in our leadership and stood up to the challenge by moving to other areas of work when some community facilities closed so that as a company we were able to offer new and expanded services and take on new initiatives and programmes in response to the COVID-19 call in Cork and Kerry, while at the same time delivering on all our existing programme commitments. Our monthly newsletter and Discover Duhallow magazine played a significant role in getting the Covid message across and informing and entertaining our readers. Thanks to Maggie O’ Callaghan and her team and Derval Corbett for their work. We were delighted to receive one of the Community Awards from Kerry County Council for our COVID-19 response. The health and safety of our staff and volunteers is paramount and all remained at work in our offices throughout. Thanks to the vigilance of our Health and Safety Committee of Colm Crowley, Marie Fleming, Colm O'Connor, Tom Twomey, Paddy O'Connor and Caroline O'Rahilly.
In our Life Long Learning work Rachel Budd and Bríghid Ide Walsh did an excellent job adopting the delivery of our QQI Level IV in Horticulture under the COVID-19 lock down restrictions. Our thanks to Cork ETB, Patricia O’Mahony and Catherine Power for their support. Skillnet, our major support to over 1,000 rural businesses, saw growth during the year due to a workforce largely at home and some out of work, there was brisk demand for our on-line courses, Louise Bourke and Geraldine O’Connor did Trojan work and we can confidently say that we have a workforce ready to take on the challenge of rebuilding the rural economy with better improved skills than ever before. Our major awards in Level 8 programme in BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education & Care in conjunction with IT Carlow and the QQI Level 5 programme in Health care graduated in Cap and Gown albeit remotely. Our thanks to Paul Healy CEO Skillnet and his team for their tremendous support. A new opportunity to support family carers was presented through Dormant Accounts funding for a range of training and upskilling which was initiated by Helen O’Sullivan and is being implemented by Stephanie Moynihan.
IRD Duhallow achieved The Excellence Through People Gold Standard from NSAI in recognition of the company’s approach to and support for continuous development of its staff through training as well as keeping staff informed and involved in our Annual Strategic Review and Planning. The initiative is led by Marie Fleming with support from our two students Jordan Corkery and Nicole Ferris.
Our EIP Agri farming for Blue Dot catchments had a very successful year winning the Biodiversity award at the Cork Environmental Forum, well deserved by Michael Morrissey and Michael O’Connor on the EIP team. We were thrilled to be selected for a second EIP for the Owentarriglin Catchment which will bring another 40 farmers into EIP.
The restrictions resulted in most workplaces closing which meant that many of Duhallow’s Third Level students, pursuing courses that required practical work placements found it very difficult. We were able to accommodate eleven students on work placements.
The Social Inclusion Activation Programme in both Cork and Kerry were completed, not only meeting but surpassing many Key Performance Indicators, under the expert leadership of Triona Dennehy and her team. While LEADER had a completion date of December 2020 and all budgets were successfully committed to projects that spanned the entire range of themes and sub themes. Thanks to Eileen Linehan who manages the programme and Helen O’Sullivan who filled the role while Eileen was on leave with Nollaig Murphy providing administration support.
Thanks to our accounts team of Alaina Finn and TJ McAuliffe and I wish Margaret O'Connor and Julie O'Flaherty speedy and full recoveries. In response to an overwhelming need for some of our clients to emerge from the severe COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, we took the decision to open up our Ability programme for in-person training and support, safely for both participants and tutors. Our thanks to Jackie Kelly and Bríghid-Ide Walsh for facilitating this essential service for those who needed it.
To conclude IRD Duhallow is a success because of the excellent stewardship of our voluntary, hardworking Board of Directors that have set the vision, culture and values of the company. Breeda Moynihan Cronin our current Chairperson, has brought a wealth of local and national experience and expertise. Annette O’Mahony has been an excellent and supportive Vice Chairperson always encouraging us, while Michael Twohig has taken on the role of Chairperson of Finance and has shown tremendous solidarity and leadership in being present to us staff on a weekly basis despite COVID-19 and managing his own businesses. Anne Maria Bourke, as the HR Chairperson has likewise been a regular presence over the past year, bringing positivity and encouragement to the team.
Our Afterschools service was also deemed essential to support workers in front line and food chain supply, opened full time to enable parents go out to work as schools were closed. Thanks to Bríghid-Ide, Jodie and Rachel who did a great job, in fact attendance for the remainder of the year has shown steady growth as the service increases in popularity. Tús and RSS Supervisors played a key role showing leadership in COVID-19 times by developing a number of local loop walks and maintaining our network of walks and community facilities, so people could remain within their distance restrictions yet get out and exercise to maintain a healthy mind and body. Nuala Riordan Tús Supervisor has overseen the walks, as well as leading teams in invasive species control as part of our After LIFE commitments. IRD Duhallow implements its RSS and Tús in an integrated, person centric manner so the participants get to experience a range of work experiences. Thank you to Don Murphy and Tom Twomey, Supervisors who oversee and plan the work.
We are heading into a new year with confidence and tenacity. We have the excitement of new programmes and new services to offer which a Social Farming project just announced and a HSE funded Community Health Project about to commence. I am blessed to have the professionalism, experience and expertise of our Assistant CEO Eileen Linehan and fortunate to have an excellent Management team of Triona Dennehy and Helen O’Sullivan. Our staff is second to none and I am both fortunate and proud to work with them. Together we will meet and take on whatever challenges come and will embrace new opportunities for the betterment of the region and people we serve.
Our Furniture Revamp service and Kickstart programme enjoyed increased volumes of work as more people embarked on DIY jobs while at home. This service has done huge work in diverting furniture from land fill or worse and making available affordable furniture to the elderly and low income families.
Maura Walsh CEO
Our thanks to Colm O’Connor, Jessica Barron, Debbie Pearson and George Fitzgibbon for their work in promoting a more sustainable circular economy.
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