Aontú’s Donegal candidate has said that she is “shocked and furious” at the prospect of closure of the only child and adolescent counselling service in the county – which she described as a “lifeline” for people going through “a very black period in their lives”.
Mary T Sweeney, who is standing for her party in the Letterkenny LEA, said that young people are in desperate need of services.
The Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services said earlier this week that, although it is the only provider of child and adolescent counselling in the county, it would have to stop offering services in Co Donegal after the HSE and Tusla said it would not give funding for a full-time director of counselling.
This would create “a dangerous void” for young people’s mental health services, the centre’s board of directors said.
“The rapid growth of the service in response to surging demand for counselling has resulted in an acute necessity for the funding of a full-time director of counselling and a coordinator,” the board said. Amongst those assisted by the services until now were people affected by the Creeslough tragedy, in which 10 people were killed in October 2022 after an explosion at a petrol station.
The centre said it had now received confirmation that the HSE and Tusla would not be funding roles at the not-for-profit centre.
“Despite consistent, exhaustive and explorative efforts in recent months to secure much-needed rolling investment from the HSE and Tusla to finance these positions, it’s now been confirmed that no funding will be made available,” the board said. “Consequently, the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services CLG has been forced to take the extremely difficult decision to wind down its counselling provision across Donegal.”
Responding to the “shock” closure announcement, Ms Sweeney said: “I am shocked and absolutely furious about the announcement of the closure of the
Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services Centre. They will cease operations in mid-March as funding for their absolutely vital services is not forthcoming from the HSE. This is the only child and adolescent counselling service available in this county and it is literally a lifeline for people”.
“I have come across several young people, who I have either directed to the service, or those who have used the service which provided the only lifeline they could get to receive counselling to enable them get through a very black period in their lives,” she said.
“They were not in a position to go privately and quite frankly they should not have to”.
“This is just the latest in a long line of cuts to vital mental services across the county. I’m so sad for the young people who so desperately need this service. There is a waiting list of 350 people in need of help and support and the service is currently providing counselling to 120 people.” the Aontú candidate said.
“We hear so much ‘guff’ from the Government about Mental Health and the importance of minding one’s mental health but here we have a service doing all the hard work on the ground, actually really helping and providing solace to people, and they are being closed down. It is absolutely nauseating,” she said.
“Is this another attack by the HSE on mental health services in Donegal?” she asked.
“This centre also houses the much need Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meetings …where are they supposed to go”.
“We are told that the country is awash with money …well if that is true, why are our vital mental health services being hollowed out,” the Aontú candidate said.
“I understand that the actual costs of running this centre are not exorbitant and I want answers from the HSE as to the actual costs and why it is not providing the money. I am calling for cross party support to save this centre; this is too serious and issue for ‘politicking’”.”
“We need to come together to overturn this decision. I am organising a petition calling for the immediate reversal of this terrible decision. We need to fight for the people of Donegal and hold the HSE to account”.
The HSE’s Community Healthcare Organisation Area said in a statement that “a standard application and negotiation process exists within the HSE for funding non-statutory agencies”.
“This process is used by the HSE to approve funding to a voluntary/non-statutory agency in relation to health and personal social services through Service Level Agreements. There is currently no such agreement with this agency.