A Donegal councillor has said it is ‘ridiculous’ that the HSE does not co-fund a local family support charity with a waiting list of more than 200 children.
Based in Newtowncunningham, Lifestart Services CLG provides home visiting support and education to parents of children from pre-birth up to 12 years of age.
Despite supporting families in Donegal for 25 years, the service is core-funded by TUSLA but receives no support from the HSE.
Meanwhile, up to 65% of referrals to Lifestart are from the HSE.
Cllr Michael McBride told this week’s meeting of the Letterkenny/Milford MD: “Lifestart in Donegal are currently working with parents of over 550 children and have a waiting list of over 200 children providing critical early intervention by low paid staff who are taking approximately 2/3 of their referrals from the HSE without any financial support from the HSE.
“Lifestart has been a fantastic success in Donegal and when you see a waiting list of 200 I think it is absolutely ridiculous to see the HSE putting in two-thirds of referrals, with the budget that the HSE have.”
Cllr McBride likened Lifestart to the crisis-hit Raphoe Diocese Pastoral Centre Counselling Service, which launched an SOS call this year for funding support. The counselling service was eventually granted interim funding from the HSE in collaboration with TUSLA.
Cllr McBride said funding for new posts at Lifestart to help ease the waiting list would also be “money well spent”.
The motion was passed and the council is now set to write to the HSE Chief Officer, conveying the support of the members of the Letterkenny & Milford Municipal District for the joint funding of the LIFESTART programme by the HSE along with TUSLA.
