New plans for old Council library in Selskar
A charity providing services for people with intellectual disabilities and special needs in Wexford is expanding into the old library building in Redmond Square car park. Ard Aoibhinn Services has applied for planning permission to build a new entrance and window openings and carry out alterations to the interior of the premises which is being leased from Wexford County Council.
The service has reached the limit of its headquarters in Belvedere Road where an extension was built nine years ago. ‘We’re running out of space We’re at capacity and have been for a number of years,’ said Director Gerry Heaney. ‘The library building will give us extra capacity and enable us to provide support services for school-leavers with intellectual disabilities who have nowhere to go once they reach 18. We have several young people in that situation at the moment. We will be able to take more school-leavers in,’ he said. Ard Aoibhinn which was established in 1995, currently supports 170 families in Wexford through day-care, residential and home-based services from its main building in Belevedere Road and nine additional premises around the area, and demand for its services is continuing to rise. The age range of clients extends from pre-school to elderly residents in their late 70’s.
The centre is funded by grants from the HSE under Section 39 of the Health Act and the generous support of fundraisers in the community. It is hoped to obtain planning permission by late September and the facility should be in operation by December after alterations have been completed.