Talks continue in bid to save vital counselling service in Donegal facing closure

Hopes have heightened that a vital counselling service in Donegal can be saved.

The Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services, which is helping 120 people and has a 350-person waiting list, announced last month that it would close its doors in March due to a lack of funding.

High level talks have taken place this week with a further meeting pencilled in next week.

Representatives from the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services met with TUSLA, HSE Mental Health and HSE Primary Care Services on Tuesday.

Donegal TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has been liaising with the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, on the matter.

Minister McConalogue said: “According to Minister Butler, it was positive meeting with agreement that Raphoe Counselling Service would provide the HSE with a proposal over the coming days that identifies all of the needs in the interim and long term.

“A further meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 14th. I have also liaised directly with the Bishop Alan McGuckian and will continue to liaise with Minister Butler as these meetings continue.”

Tulsa has said that it is committed to working to maintain the services going forward.

aphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services, a not-for-profit organisation, is currently the only child and adolescent counselling service in the county. The service began in 1992 under Sister Mary O’Donovan and has been supported by the Raphoe Diocese since then.

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.

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.

In a recent statement, Gerry Hone, Tusla’s Regional Chief Officer West North West, said: “We are conscious of how the closure of this service would affect local communities and the concern that this has caused across the county. We will also look at how existing funding can be utilised to continue to provide essential supports.”