Main pic: The Pastoral Centre Counselling Service in Letterkenny.
The Minister of State for Health has said she is looking to see ‘what can be done’ to save counselling services at the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services.
Minister Butler was responding to a Deputy Thomas Pringle who raised the issue in the Dáil last night.
She said she is awaiting a briefing from CHO1 and will engage with the services to see what can be done to resolve the issue.
“I spoke with the national director in relation to this type of service this morning (Wednesday), as well as Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher who was instrumental in setting up the service years ago,” Minister Butler said.
“I am waiting on a briefing from CH01 (HSE north west) in that area and I will engage with the service and see what we can do. I believed they (counselling service) was to the fore in the Creeslough tragedy where they helped many people with counselling. I understand the service has grown over the years and needs a full-time director – the person who was (working) there is due to retire in March – so I will see what we can do to resolve this issue.”
Deputy Pringle called on the government to urgently resume funding, describing the decision not to provide money as ‘disgraceful.’
Meanwhile, senior officials from the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, met with Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services (RDPS) on Tuesday.
On Monday last, RDPS announced the complete cessation of its counselling services across Donegal due to lack of public funding for a full-time director of counselling.
The service offers the only provision for child and adolescent counselling in the county, as well as providing counselling services to adults.
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