Politicians in constituencies around the country have said they are “inundated” with calls from anxious citizens living both at home and abroad as many struggle with the new challenges posed by the coronavirus.
Many TDs have been forced to cancel their constituency clinics because of social distancing guidelines.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said she has been reduced to tears by the texts and phone calls from members of the public who she says are becoming increasingly desperate about their personal and financial circumstances.
“I wasn’t joking when I said I broke down crying, some of the stories are heartbreaking. This was so unexpected for people. Normally if your company is about to shut down you have some inkling about what is coming down the tracks or you hear a rumour.
“People just did not have any idea. And they do not know what to do. If you lost your job, the first thing you want to do is print your CV and get back out there but now we are supposed to be isolating, and no one is hiring.”
Ms O’Reilly said many people are ringing her office asking her when the crisis is likely to end, telling her about the level of savings they have left as they worry about paying bills.
“People are desperate. They have only just got over Christmas a number of weeks ago and paid those bills back. There are people ringing saying they have never rung a TD’s office in their life but they don’t know what else to do. And there are those who have never engaged with the social welfare system before who are seeking advice. This is a situation literally without precedent.”
She said she was being contacted by workers and businesses and just that morning had heard from the owner of a cafe in a shopping centre who had to close but was not being given a reprieve from rent or insurance.
‘Inundated’
Independent TD Michael Collins said he was “inundated” with calls, adding: “My staff are just flooded.”
The requests for help are wide-ranging. There are sick constituents asking for transport, people who are “beside themselves” after losing their jobs, business owners battling insurance companies, home owners trying to figure out their options and fishermen who are battling against the odds.
The calls continue non-stop until 1am, he said.
“It’s everything. I have so many queries from students who have to come home but who are still paying rental costs for college accommodation. I have calls from people in Peru who are trying to come home. I was up until 1am trying to get people out of Bolivia to get them home the other night.”
“The calls just keep coming in, and a lot of them are people who are just very upset.”
The Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has said that the public anxiety “goes way beyond the risk of infection”.
“It is about concern for others but it is also about the anxiety in regard to putting food on the table, paying the rent or mortgage and paying bills, and concern about the ability to reopen or reboot a business after this pandemic passes, and it will pass.”
