News
Giving Back
There have been a range of contributions made by Open Doors Initiative members during the COVID-19 crisis.
Our members are giving back during the COVID-19 crisis.
This is not exhaustive and continues to develop as the crisis goes on. We are proud of the aids that they are creating to help wider society and those in need during this time.
--
AIB
AIB has pledged €2.4m to help accelerate Trinity College Dublin’s immunology project tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
With increasing pressure on families, individuals and businesses as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, below are details on the range of financial options available, as AIB looks to support customers through the challenges.
Payment Breaks
AIB, EBS and Haven customers can access a three-month payment break (moratorium) on home mortgage, personal and SME loans via an online process. Application forms are available on each website. Information is available for ROI customers for UK customers.
For SME customers in ROI we are providing working capital support and the rescheduling of loan payments for impacted customers.
Daily Banking
One of the measures being introduced to support our customers is to increase the contactless limit on cards, from €30 to €50 per transaction. For all AIB debit and credit cards with the contactless symbol, this will be effective from 1st April.
For some retailers, it may take longer to roll-out, so the change may only be made to card terminals in those stores over the next few weeks.
Customers who are registered for Google, Apple or Fitbit pay on a compatible device, can already use their devices to pay amounts more than €50 in most stores.
We continue to waive contactless payment fees. This also applies to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay Contactless transactions,
We have suspended the planned introduction of maintenance and transactions fees for ROI customers who keep a minimum balance of €2,500 per fee quarter.
Daily Banking in Branches – Vulnerable Customers
Priority branch banking time for our older and more vulnerable customers is from 10:00am until 11:00am each morning. We are asking our other customers to plan their branch visits outside this time.
Our branches across AIB and EBS networks remain open to our customers, except for those locations on campuses that closed following advice from the Health Authorities.
Aldi
Aldi Donates €50,000 To FoodCloud To Assist With Staff Support.
Bank of Ireland
In response to the Covid-19 public health emergency, Bank of Ireland changed how it operates and worked swiftly to implement additional supports for customers. The Bank quickly launched a broad range of supports, providing practical assistance for personal and business customers. Bank of Ireland also made necessary changes to its branch network to play its part in curtailing the virus and ensuring services are focussed on the most pressing needs of customers right now. This also involved diverting colleagues into roles where they can best assist customers and fast-track thousands of applications for support. Bank of Ireland Covid-19 supports include:
- donating €1million in emergency support to a number of charities and community groups nationwide
- mortgage and loan payment breaks for personal and business customers
- emergency working capital and payment flexibility for businesses
- waiving contactless fees and increasing contactless limit from €30 to €50
- buying back foreign currency so customers who couldn’t travel wouldn’t be out of pocket
- a service for self-isolating customers to access cash without leaving home
- dedicated phone lines for healthcare workers, over 65’s and carers
- changed the payment terms for SME suppliers from 30 day notice to within 5 days
Alongside some other banks, Bank of Ireland has introduced a three-month payment break in mortgages.
They have also introduced a COVID-19 Help Centre to provides details of all the supports on offer. This includes a ‘Cocooning support’ service to help customers who are self-isolating to access cash. They can nominate another person to make in-branch withdrawals and lodgements on their behalf.
It's also been announced that Bank of Ireland are donating €1 million in emergency funds to support the most vulnerable in their communities. The funds will be allocated to charities and organisations across the island of Ireland.
Brown Thomas Arnotts
Brown Thomas and Arnotts have set up a community support helpline for retirees from both businesses and for team members aged 65 years and over who are in self-isolation.
A telephone and email support helpline is currently in operation on weekdays from Monday to Friday, 11am – 2pm, to offer a friendly chat or to assist in purchasing essential groceries and basic household supplies.
The community support helpline is run by volunteers from within Brown Thomas and Arnotts.
Brown Thomas Arnotts Community Support Helpline Contact Information:
Phone: 087 696 7123
Email: BTACommunitySupport@brownthomas.ie
Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland
As part of the relief effort, they are making regular donations of 120,000 drinks to front-line healthcare workers and the most vulnerable groups in communities. They have doubled their monthly donations to their charity partners, Simon Community, FoodCloud and Fareshare, to support those families who are most in need. In March alone, 40,000 drinks were delivered. They are also supporting those on the front-line; delivering 80,000 drinks to healthcare workers in more than 30 hospitals and test centres on a weekly basis until further notice.
Furthermore, to help communities recover after this crisis, The Coca-Cola Foundation has announced a $120m fund, with portion to be allocated to Ireland and Northern Ireland. They are working in partnership with NGOs to understand how best to distribute this funding and will share more information in due course.
Finally, they recognise that this is a particularly challenging time for smaller businesses, and those who have had to close their doors. They are engaging with business representative groups over the coming weeks to understand how they can contribute to the rebuilding of the economy when the time comes.
CPL
Hosted a virtual career week for candidates and webinars on leading through times of change. They are also launching a podcast series and hosting a Virtual Career Fair, with their recruiters offering one-to-one consultations on specifics industries.
DeCare
Our first webinar is hosted by Dave Casey Wellness and Health Promotion Manager at DeCare and explores the effects COVID-19 has on our Mental Health.
With the introduction of the new 2km restricted measures regarding Covid-19, government have asked the people of Ireland to stay home. Many of us are working remotely and find ourselves out of our normal routines. Our diet and what we are feeding our bodies is crucial at this time for overall wellbeing and mental health.
Our next webinar looks at the impact of sugar. It affects both oral and general health. Heart disease, liver disease, Diabetes Type 2 have been inextricably linked by the World Health Organization to excessive consumption of sugars.
Diageo
Diageo has had two initiatives to assist people out of work in the hospitality business and the elderly through ALONE, by creating a €1.5million fund to aid them. They are also contributing to further healthcare workers protection by supplying two million litres of alcohol to make anti-bacterial hand sanitiser to boost stocks depleted by the global coronavirus outbreak.
Read the RTE News report.
Grant Thornton
They are supporting clients and businesses with information via the Grant Thornton website and also calls to talk through individual business situations.
This content page is being updated constantly as new information on support packages and required actions for businesses emerge.
IDA Ireland
The HSE and IDA Ireland collaborated, together with Aer Lingus and the Dept of Foreign Affairs, to work with the Chinese Authorities to bring home much needed PPE supplies.
IDA Ireland remains open for business across the globe 'albeit' virtually. They have created a dedicated space on the IDA Ireland website to bring you relevant info & advice on COVID-19, and the Government response.
Kerry Group
Kerry Group has announced details of a new initiative that will support communities with their response to some of the challenges created by COVID-19. The MyCommunity programme has a number of elements that encourage and empower Kerry employees to work with and support the communities that they work and live in across the world.
The MyCommunity programme combines Kerry’s resources and expertise to support employees to volunteer with locally-led community initiatives which directly support food, nutrition and health. In addition to up to 26,000 paid volunteer days, Kerry has pledged a €1m community fund to assist with local initiatives.
There have been numerous examples of Kerry employees supporting communities across the world from donations of PPE gear to hospitals in France, USA and Ireland, production of hand sanitiser for local health authorities in France, Australia and USA to donation of meals to frontline health workers in Ireland and UK.
Mason Alexander
This is a good time to put focus into updating your CV and making your next move. They are available to provide free consultations on CV and interview tips.
For businesses, they are offering advisory services around business continuity, effective remote working and managing remote teams as well as remote hiring and on-boarding, resource planning and outplacement solutions (if you are losing staff and to help them), out-sourcing solutions and rebound talent strategy.
Momentum Support
Momentum Support are a Cleaning and Security Business. We are supporting eleven plus Healthcare facilities with Cleaning Services.
TU Dublin
TU Dublin has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to hospitals and care facilities across Dublin. Staff across the University have gathered up stocks of PPE to donate to hospitals and care facilities.
TU Dublin engineering staff have joined a national COVID-19 effort, led by NUIG and Medtronic/Medics, to make equipment to support front line health service staff and patients. Over the last couple of weeks, the University identified resources in design and manufacture expertise; materials; 3D printing and manufacturing facilities, that could be used to produce PPE items such as visors, ventilator parts, and other equipment to help fight against the virus.
Group members in Bolton Street are working on a protective visor design for a Laser Cutter which enables rapid production of visors with a single machine. Electronic Engineers in Kevin Street are also working on using Internet Of Things technology to assist in communication between clinical staff and inpatients with Covid-19 who are in individual rooms, thus helping to reduce the demand for PPE.
