Creeslough survivors concerned over closure of vital counselling service

Survivors of the Creeslough explosion and family members of those who died in the 2022 tragedy have been left fearful over the impending closure of a vital counselling service in Donegal.

The Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services announced this week that it would close its doors in March due to a lack of funding.

The organisation, which is currently helping 120 people and has 350 people on a waiting list, will cease to operate due to an absence of funding for a new director of counselling.

Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services, a not-for-profit organisation, is currently the only child and adolescent counselling service in the county.

The service has been aiding people affected by the Creeslough explosion over the last 15 months. The blast in October 2022 claimed the lives of ten people, including three children.

“I have been contacted by people who survived the Creeslough explosion and they are very worried about having to relocate and start the counselling process all over again,” Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh told a meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District.

“Those people are well down the road with the service. It has been very important for a long number of years. They relaunched and revamped and they had very high hopes.

“We should explore every avenue to keep this service going.”

Councillor Kavanagh seconded a motion from Councillor Michael McBride calling for the Council to lend its weight to the cause. He suggested that a delegation from the Council meet with Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. Over the last 30 years, the Church has supported the service, which began under Sister Mary O’Donovan in 1992.

“We all know people who have used that service and we just cannot underestimate the work that they do,” Councillor McBride said. “It will be a bad day and for this whole area if it ceases. We need to make sure that no stone is left unturned.”

Presently, there are total of 26 part-time counsellors, including 11 student placements, who deliver the service in seven outreach centres across Donegal – including Letterkenny, Dunfanaghy, Stranorlar, Creeslough and Buncrana.

Counselling is also provided at Hughie’s Corner in Carndonagh and Gemma’s Legacy of Hope in Dungloe. Both of these are community-funded projects.

The board said in a statement: “Despite consistent, exhaustive and explorative efforts in recent months to secure much-needed rolling investment from the HSE and Tusla to finance these positions, it’s now been confirmed that no funding will be made available.

“The reality is that the loss of this vital service will leave the many thousands of people who need counselling with nowhere to turn. It will also undo many years of hard work invested in building the infrastructure and governance to deliver this service in local communities.”

Director of Counselling Liam Cannon announced in September that he intended to step away from his role and will not now be replaced.

Councillor Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly said more of these centres should be opening, not closing.

“We need to do absolutely everything we can to keep it opened,” he said. “It will be a sad day for the entire county if this was to close. It is so important that everyone tries to save this service. Mental health is a serious, growing issue.”

Councillor Gerry McMonagle said the service has ’stood by a lot of people down the years’ and the Letterkenny-Milford MD Mayor, Councillor Kevin Bradley added: “This is a vital service and we need to do our best to keep it going.”

Bishop McGuckian said: “It started small and it just grew and grew in response to need. Liam was headhunted and under him it has grown and grown. It is an extraordinary service in the county that we are proud of.”

The HSE has said that a standard application and negotiation process exists for funding non-statutory agencies. A spokesperson said: “This process is used by the HSE to approve funding to a voluntary/non-statutory agency in relation to health and personal social services through Service Level Agreements. There is currently no such agreement with this agency.”