€100,000 for design phase of new Cleary Centre, Donegal Town

€100,000 in capital funding has been allocated to progress the design of the new day services facility for adults with intellectual disabilities at the former Cleary Centre site in Donegal Town.

In recent times, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it served as a temporary Covid test Centre in the county, for south Donegal.

BUt now a project review team has been involved in reviewing the original project brief which includes a nominee from the South Donegal Parents and Friends Group, the manager of the Cleary Centre, HSE Estates Project Officer and a Disability Services Manager.

A design team is expected to be appointed by the end of September 2022 to commence the design stage of the project. 

Day Services for adults with intellectual disabilities from South Donegal area are currently being provided from the Community Inclusion Hub – Cleary Centre, Lurganboy, Donegal Town.

The new facility planned will provide day services for adults with intellectual disabilities from 18 years upwards across South Donegal. It will be designed and built in accordance with the required national HSE New Directions policy for the delivery of day services to people with disabilities and in line with the required standards and regulations.

The HSE has and will continue to engage with service users and their families at each stage of the process beginning with the design process.  According to Ms Edel Quinn, HSE Head of Service for Disabilities, Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo

“This is the first step in a multistage process where Disability Services will work closely with HSE Estates to enable a facility to be built that will provide a base for the delivery of high quality day services to people with disabilities. Disability Services look forward to continuing to liaise with the people who use the service and their families at each stage of this process and to continue on this journey together to bring this project to fruition.”