Tusla says it is committed to maintaining vital Donegal counselling service

Tulsa officials have met with representatives from the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services and say that they are hopeful that the key counselling service can remain active.

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

Tulsa says that it is committed to working with the service to maintain the services going forward.

Senior officials from the child and family agency met with Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services on Tuesday.

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A statement from Tusla says that it is ‘committed to continue to work with the organisation to help them resolve current financial operational issues and to develop a sustainability plan and ensure necessary clinical governance and oversight of operations are in place’.

The statement said: “The Agency will engage with other key stakeholders to support the service, in order for it to continue to provide vital counselling supports across the county.

“Tusla provides funding to Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services for counselling services to children, young people and families in Donegal, which includes a core budget and other additional payments which have been provided to help address the growing demand for the service countywide and the current waiting lists.”

Raphoe 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.

Earlier in the week, 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.”

Gerry Hone, Regional Chief Officer West North West, Tusla said: “I am fully aware of the significance of the counselling services provided by the Raphoe Diocesan Pastoral Services to communities across Donegal. We are committed to working with the organisation to help them to develop a sustainability plan so that they can continue to provide these important services in the area.

“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.”