A meeting has been scheduled by the HSE to review a request from the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services for essential funding to keep the doors open.
The Letterkenny-based Child and Adolescent Counselling service announced it would cease services in March, citing a lack of funding for leadership staff.
The service is the only non-profit service of its kind in Donegal, with outreach centres for children and teenagers across the county in Dunfanaghy, Stranorlar, Creeslough, and Buncrana, as well as community-funded projects at Hughie’s Corner in Carndonagh and Gemma’s Legacy of Hope in Dungloe.
The Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD, has confirmed that a meeting has been scheduled by the HSE to review the request received from the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services.
“Consideration will be given to all the issues arising, taking particular consideration of impacts on service users,” the Minister said.
“I am fully aware of the importance of the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Service to the local community,” added Minister Butler in a reply to Sinn Féin TDs Deputy Pearse Doherty and Padraig Mac Lochlainn.
Deputy Doherty has called for the government to step in to provide the necessary funding to prevent the impending closure.
He welcomed the upcoming meeting and said: “I believe only one outcome can emerge from the meeting: Government must step in to provide funding.
“I have made the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth aware of the situation and highlighted the need for funding to urgently be allocated to save the service.
“There are around 120 children and adolescents receiving treatment at the facility at any one time with over 350 on a waiting list. Many of these young people are at crisis point. We simply cannot take away this vital service from these young people.
“Such a void in the provision of mental health services for young people in Donegal would have far-reaching effects.
“The Minister must intervene and the department must make up the shortfall in funding to prevent the service closing in the short term.
“In the long term, the government need to understand the effect underfunding the health service has had and must take a different approach to ensure people have access to mental health services and get treatment in a timely manner.”
