“Appalling” and “completely unacceptable,” is how a city councillor has described to closure of the Áras Mhic Dara Day Centre in An Cheathrú Rua.
Independent city councillor and Regional Health Forum member Catherine Connolly, said the day centre is “a vital and integral part of the primary care services” in Connemara, used by more than 20 elderly people every week.
“For many of them who live on their own, it is their only opportunity to mix with others,” she said.
Cllr Connolly alleged that the decision to close the centre appeared to have been made by the local manager in primary care and was never brought to the attention of councillors on the health forum.
Cllr Connolly raised the issue of empty beds in the public nursing home in An Cheathrú Rua at the health forum meeting in Merlin Park last week. In response, she was informed there were five empty beds in the home as a result of lack of nursing staff but that management anticipated moving nurses from the UCHG to the An Cheathrú Rua nursing home as soon as possible.
However Cllr Connolly said no mention was made of any difficulties with the day centre three days before it was closed. She said the decision “makes a mockery” of the HSE West’s commitment to primary care and in particular its “commitment to assisting as many older people as possible to reside in their own homes”.
Cllr Connolly has raised the matter with the general manager of primary care and is awaiting her response. She will also be raising it at the next health forum meeting. She is calling on Galway West’s five TD, in particular the Government TDs, Derek Nolan, Sean Kyne, and Brian Walsh, to make their voices heard on this issue.
