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Vital elderly service is under threat

Thursday, 28 August 2008

A DAY-CARE facility for the elderly in Finglas is in danger of shutting down because of the level of debt it has incurred.
The Nethercross Centre has been running in the red for over two years and has built up a debt of almost e200,000.
The centre is run by Respond, a non-profit housing association.
However, a number of rooms are used by the HSE and it is alleged by Respond that no rent has been paid for their use in the past two years.
“We are unsure as to whether we can continue to stay in business,” Respond spokesperson John Hannigan told Northside People.
“We have not received any rent from the HSE since May 30 2006 for a section of the premises that contains a community paediatric occupational therapy service.
“On April 22, we were forced to issue the HSE with a notice to quit. This has been ignored by the HSE and the organisation has made no offer of rent.

He added: “Dealing with the HSE has been incredibly frustrating. We have expressed our concerns with the HSE and have tried for the past three months to organise a meeting with them but we have been pushed from pillar to post. We are in a very difficult situation and have been left with no other choice but to go public.”
The centre, which is extremely popular, is running at full capacity with over 80 visitors per week.
The centre provides hot meals, semi-medical services and recreational activities such as art and crafts for the elderly.
According to Mr Hannigan, the closure of the centre would come as a huge blow for those who regularly use it.
“The HSE officials don’t realise that real lives are affected by their decisions or lack of,” he said.
“There are 80 vulnerable and elderly people who are dependent on this service, for some of them they literally live for the day visit to Nethercross.”
Helena McGuigan (76) is just one of those who will be affected by closure if it goes ahead.
“It would be a terrible shame; I can’t tell you how much I look forward to the one day I get to spend at the centre,” she told Northside People.
“It’s the highlight of my week.
“I would never get out of my house were it not for the centre which provides transport from my home to the Nethercross.”
A spokesperson for the HSE criticised Respond for going public with the claims but gave a commitment to hold talks with a view to saving what it described as a “valuable service”.
“We have been in discussions with Respond Housing Association regarding its allocation for 2008 and find it regretful that the organisation should choose to make public claims regarding its current situation while these discussions are ongoing,” it was stated.
“The HSE will be making contact with Respond immediately to further these discussions in order to maintain the valuable service provided.
“No agreement regarding the payment of rent for a section of the premises at Nethercross has ever been signed by either Respond or the HSE. This issue will also form part of the further discussions with Respond.
“The HSE has emphasised that there is a need to review all expenditure within the voluntary sector to ensure the maximum amount of services are being provided and that this significant investment is value for money.
“The HSE has asked all the voluntary organisations to achieve efficiencies within their budgets. The aim is to find non-frontline savings within each organisation and direct these savings to front line services.”

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