THE Government must urgently move to guarantee continued funding for the Creeslough Together Initiative beyond July 2026, a local councillor has said.
Cllr John Sheamais Ó Fearraigh, has warned that any delay risks undermining essential community services that people rely on every day.
“The response I have received from Fianna Fáil’s Minister Dara Calleary confirms that there is currently no certainty that funding for the Creeslough Together Initiative will continue beyond its current term”, the Sinn Féin cllr for the Glenties Municipal District said.
“In October, they made a proposal to extend funding to 2029 but they still have not received any news as to whether it will be continued.
“This is simply not acceptable given the critical role this initiative has played in supporting the community in the aftermath of the Creeslough tragedy.”
Cllr Ó Fearraigh said the community hub in Creeslough has become a “trusted and vital space in the heart of the village”. The hub provides trauma supports, youth services and a focal point for community connection and recovery.
“To allow this funding to lapse, or to leave it hanging in uncertainty, would create a cliff-edge for services that people depend on and trust.
“These services were not designed as short-term fixes. The impact of trauma and loss does not operate on a three-year timeline, and neither should the supports.
“The Government must recognise that the need in Creeslough remains real and ongoing. The continuation of this funding is essential.
“I am calling on the Minister to immediately confirm that funding will be extended and to remove any doubt or anxiety for the staff, volunteers and, most importantly, the people who rely on these services.
“Failing to act now would risk undoing much of the progress that has been made and would send the wrong signal to a community that has already endured so much.”