CRUNCH talks today may play a pivotal role in determining the future of youth counselling services at seven locations across Donegal, after more than two weeks of intense campaigning.
Liam Cannon, who currently oversees the clinical governance and management of Donegal’s youth counselling services, describes the fact that HSE and Tusla officials are meeting today as “very positive”.
In Lifford on Monday, Donegal County Councillors met and agreed to intensify pressure on national government and health authorities to allocate funding in order to maintain counselling centres – located in Letterkenny, Dunfanaghy, Stranorlar, Creeslough, Buncrana, Carndonagh and Dungloe.
“I’m calling on Junior Health Minister Mary Butler to intervene and instruct the HSE to fund the service properly into the future,” said Cllr Gerry McMonagle.
Successfully putting forward a motion on the subject, the Letterkenny-based Sinn Féin Councillor expressed frustration at all the “foot-dragging” since major funding problems at the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services first came to light on January 15.
“This uncertainty has been going on too long. Minister Butler told the Dáil that she was instructing the HSE and Tusla to have meetings. I believe those meetings took place but so far there’s no concrete evidence to suggest that the funding difficulties have been overcome,” he said.
It’s hoped that the latest meeting between HSE and Tusla officials today will deliver a positive outcome. Described as “a drop in the ocean”, Monday’s council meeting heard that approximately €80,000 per year would be enough to secure a full-time director and coordinator for the child and adult counselling services.
Furthermore, it was suggested that the status quo is saving taxpayers a small fortune. Apparently 3,000 counselling sessions provided by the HSE cost €273,000.
Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services, at the seven Donegal locations, can provide the same number of sessions for just €105,000.
“There are so many people who depend on this care. It has been provided very professionally since 2010 and has grown in that time. Hopefully the council’s intervention will create a bit of traction and result in this great service remaining in place,” said Cllr McMonagle.
“The council will now be writing to the minister, the HSE, and Tusla, to let them know that the energy behind this campaign to save the service has not gone away, and we’re not prepared to let it go away.
“They have already counselled thousands of our young people over the years. More than 350 people are waiting to use the service at present.
“It’s the only facility of its kind in Ireland. The model is acclaimed nationally and seen as a perfect blueprint for delivering counselling services throughout the country.”
Central Statistics Office figues show that suicide is the most common cause of death among people aged 15 to 34 in Ireland. Killygordon-based Fianna Fáil Councillor
Patrick McGowan says this fact underscores the importance of the Donegal counselling services.
“We’ve become much more aware about depression over the past 10 to 20 years and there’s an awful lot of pressure now in the world compared to previously.
“These are vital services for both children and adults, and you just couldn’t have enough support like this out there at the moment with how things are,” according to
Cllr McGowan, who also successfully put forward a motion on the subject during Monday’s plenary meeting of the council.
The Pastoral Centre project, which succeeds thanks to the input of 26 part-time counsellors, is currently providing support to 120 clients across the county.
“In reality, the people who deliver the counselling in Donegal are volunteers because they’re not paid for half the hours that they’re actually doing,” said Cllr McGowan.
“I’m getting the inclination that the diocese just wants to get out of it, and I don’t blame them, because it has become such an expensive and bureaucratic project. It needs a full-time manager and it needs the part-time counsellors to be working on a more permanent basis.
“We need immediate funding for the next two years as a matter of urgency, and then long-term funding is essential to put it on a solid footing.”
The results of today’s key meeting between the HSE and Tusla will be presented to management at the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services on Tuesday.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)