Respite centre serving Leitrim and Sligo families hoped to open by year-end

Calls have been made for urgent action to ensure the long-awaited Suaimhneas Respite Centre in Sligo becomes fully operational without further delay.

The centre is expected to serve families in Leitrim, Sligo, and across the north west, with hopes that it will be open before the end of the fourth quarter of this year.

The state-of-the-art facility is fully completed and equipped but remains closed pending the recruitment of staff by Rehab Care, the independent, non-profit organisation appointed to operate the centre under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004.

Rehab Care, which also operates the Bayview Respite Centre in Tullaghan, is currently running an extensive recruitment campaign to fill the necessary positions. Once the Centre Manager role is filled, the service will be registered with HIQA, as required under the Health Act 2007, before it can legally open.

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In addition to Bayview Respite Centre, Rehab Care manages two other facilities in Leitrim, including the Ballinamore Outreach Service and Ballinamore Resource Centre.

Marie Casserly, Councillor on Sligo County Council, highlighted the lengthy wait for families across Leitrim and Sligo.

“Families across Sligo, Leitrim and the wider north west have been waiting far too long for this vital service. The building is ready and the need is urgent. It is now time for the Suaimhneas Respite Centre to be fully operational so that children and their families can finally access the respite care they desperately need,” said Cllr Casserly.

“Every effort must now be made to meet this timeline and ensure that families in our region get the essential support they have been promised,” she added.

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