Concern at threatened closure of St. Aidan’s Services in Gorey T
HE threatened imminent closure of St. Aidan’s Services in Gorey was raised in the Dáil by Fianna Fáil Deputy James Browne. St. Aidan’s services in Gorey provides day, residential, respite, preschool, elderly and training services across Wexford and also provides meals on wheels, he said. It has been in its current location for 36 years and was established in 1968.
‘It has over 300 service users per annum and has 130 staff, yet the staff will be paid on a delayed basis because of what St. Aidan’s says is a shortage of promised funding from the HSE,’ he said.
The service users, their families and the staff have been informed that the centre is in imminent danger of closure unless its finances are addressed as a matter of urgency and the issue has reached a crisis point, he said.
‘The information that has been provided has caused a huge amount of distress to the staff, the service users and their families,’ he added. ‘The high quality experience of the staff would be irreplaceable should this service shut down and the cost of providing an alternative service to service users will be far in excess of the money that is not being provided.’
In reply, Minister of State Catherine Byrne said St. Aidan’s receives funding under Section 39 of the Health Act 2007 from the HSE and is scheduled to receive €5 million in 2018. ‘St. Aidan’s has identified deficits to the HSE in its agency’s core funding and costs associated with HIQA compliance, and has indicated that this may affect the services it provides,’ she said.
‘Increases in funding can only be considered within the parameters and scope of funding available to the HSE,’ she said.
‘Local HSE disability services continue to have ongoing liaison and engagement with St. Aidan’s regarding deficit issues arising in the context of resources available. The HSE will be producing the 2019 National Service Plan in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions and funding allocation and additional funding may be considered in this context.’