Funding cut may see darley day care close

Seamus Enright

An attempt by the HSE to slash funding to elderly day care at the Darley Centre in Cootehill by as much as a third may force the service to shut as it struggles to meet its annual budget, The Anglo-Celt has learned.
While there are no plans to alter the provision of day services at the Darley Centre, the HSE is in discussions with the service provider, Dundalk-based private-operator Servisource Healthcare, with a view to examining funding costs for 2014.
However, with almost eight months of the year already gone, the HSE is said to be looking to reduce the cost of the budget by as much as a third compared to 2013. If this happens, The Celt understands the service may have to close its doors, as it fights to make ends meet. Officially opened in late 2011 by then Minister of State with responsibility for Primary Care, Alex White, Darley Community Services Centre provides day services to older people from Cootehill and the surrounding locality. It employs up to six staff, and welcomes more than 25 service users per day.
During the Minister’s official visit almost three years ago, he was confronted then by one local service user who warned Deputy White of the “vital role” it played in the lives of many, not just in Cootehill Town, but in outlying areas such as Latton in South Monaghan, Bunoe, Kill, Drung, Tullyvin, Knockbride, Maudabawn and Shercock.
Chairman of the Senior Citizens Committee, C.J. Fay also warned the Minister to take a message back to Government that services at facilities like the Community Services Centre needed to be maintained.
The latest attempted cut to funding has been branded “a downright and absolute disgrace” by one service user, Ann McMullen from Cootehill.
She told The Anglo-Celt: “It’s terrible when you think of all the people the service benefits.
“If it closes because of the HSE cutting money from it, that’d be a downright and absolute disgrace,” Mrs McMullen says. “Like everything else, everything good that we’ve ever had in Cootehill has been taken away from us, or we’ve had to fight tooth and nail to hold onto.”
She added that coming into the winter season, the service is of particular importance to some users. “A lot of these people live on their own, a lot of men come in and get their meals there. This might be their only opportunity to meet anyone for the whole week. To think that this might be taken away, it’s dreadful.”

Fight
If a fight to retain the level of service is on the cards, Brother Harry O’Gara, who has attended the day care for the past three-years, says local people will be prepared to stand against the cuts.
He says the service plays an integral role as a social outlet.
“People come in, they get fed, and maybe afterwards there’s some music, or cards or another game, a quiz perhaps. It’s very therapeutic, and the staff are out on their own. They’re very kind to the people who attend there,” he says.
Brother Harry says the potential threat is a huge worry to service users.
“We’re all aware of it, and it would be awfully missed if it were to close. It’s a brilliant building, with everything else that’s provided, and a brilliant service. There are many in Ireland who’d love to have something like it. It’s worth more to the people using it than the money they’re talking about cutting.
“Without it, a lot of these people would be left sitting at home. They’d disintegrate. A lot of them would be in hospital - a lot more I’d say. They’d waste away.
“But if we have to fight to keep them from cutting from it, then we’ll fight for it and that’s it,” vowed Brother Harry.
A spokesperson for Servisource told the Celt that the company is “aware” of the HSE’s request to cut funding for day care services to be implemented.
“We are negotiating with the HSE to try and mitigate any impact on services being provided. We cannot comment any further until these negotiations have concluded,” the spokesperson said.