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MINISTER FOR DISABILITY ISSUES FINIAN MCGRATH TD MET WITH SLIGO FAMILIES LOOKING FOR BETTER HSE SERVICES
LOCAL health campaigners who met with the Minister for Disability Issues Finian McGrath TD say he was alarmed at the poor state of respite and mental health services in Sligo.
A small delegation including parents and politicians met with Minister McGrath at his office in Leinster House last Wednesday.
Sligo Leitrim TD Martin Kenny accompanied mother Fiona Gallagher and father John Doyle along with Cllr. Thomas Healy. The meeting was positive and the Minister committed to working with the HSE to make sure that services, in particular respite and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) would be improved.
He assured John Doyle whose son no longer has access to respite in Sligo that he will do all that he can to ensure that appropriate respite is available on a regular basis to every family who needs to avail of the service.
Deputy Kenny said:“Minister McGrath gave the delegation a good hearing and took on board the unacceptably low level of respite being offered to families caring for people with disabilities in the area.
“It was outlined to the Minister the worsening situation with the removal of respite from the Solas Home in Sligo which has left the region without a service and that parents are now being directed to a provider in county Monaghan.
“The ongoing problem with the CAMHS service and early intervention services was also relayed to the Minister, who listened carefully and with empathy. ”
He continued: “Hearing directly about how many parents in the Sligo Leitrim area caring for highly dependent children and young adults had not got respite for over a year was shocking news to Minister McGrath.
“Some reassurance was on offer regarding the need to provide a respite centre in Sligo in the near future and to ensure that families had support in the home where appropriate. Minister McGrath also said he would personally intervene with the HSE to access the regularity and appropriateness of respite being offered to families in the area.”
“It was a positive meeting which lasted over half an hour and certainly put the issue of respite firmly on the Minister’s agenda,” concluded Deputy Kenny.
Fiona Gallagher who has a son with special needs was delighted with the outcome of the meeting: “It was a very positive day overall. Minister McGrath listened which was fantastic. He was quite alarmed at the current state of respite and CAMHS in Sligo.
“He promised that he would go through every issue raised and get back to us.”
Fiona said he was very empathetic to their plight and this could be down to the fact that he also has a child with special needs: “He was very straight and to the point.”
A delighted Fiona also got to speak to Jim Daly TD, the newly appointed Minister for Mental Health and Older People. “This was by chance but he said he would look into our concerns and committed to coming to Sligo to meet with us,” she explains.
Both Fianna Fáil TDs Marc McSharry and Eamon Scanlon raised the issues in the Dáil again during Leaders Questions and also met with the delegation afterwards.
“All of these politicians are not given as much credit as they should get,” says Fiona, “They are fighting normal causes. I feel the TDs in my area have our back. They are pushing this crisis for us. I got to meet with Marc MacSharry and Eamon Scanlon who are very passionate about our fight. Martin Kenny was outstanding and Councillor Thomas Healy has stuck with us through thick and thin.”
Minister McGrath and Minister Daly thanked the delegation for coming up to the Dáil to voice their concerns one-on-one.