The campaign to get Seven Springs Day Care Centre re-opened on a full-time basis will be escalated in the coming weeks unless the demands for met, Councillor Geraldine Donohue has warned the HSE.
On June 24 a protest took place at the entrance to the Day Centre where the demands were made clear. Independent Councillor Donohue confirmed to the Galway Advertister that she would escalate the campaign to ensure the full re-opening of the purpose built Seven Springs Day Centre Loughrea, She said she remains sceptical about the HSE’ s commitments following it confirming that “planning is ongoing to ensure the opening of 5 day service.
It told her that it is hoped that it will be in a position to provide this within in the coming months. “Once plans are finalised the HSE expecst to accommodate all those seeking to avail of the service. We are in contact with past and future users of the service in this regard on an ongoing basis.”
Cllr Donohue said that this degree of uncertainty is simply not good enough, and that families are desperately waiting to get confirmation that the centre will be full reopened by September 1.
Cllr Donohue has warned the HSE that her campaign will be stepped up if the Chief Officer of the HSE does not give an absolute commitment to honour a public commitment they made in June which stated that Day Care Services will be open five days per week at the end of Quarter 3.
Cllr Donohue said that one day per week being offered to day centre users is not good enough.
“What the clients and families of the service want is for a fully restored and resourced day care centre re-opened to the same level as pre-covid.
“The situation where those in need of the service are hanging around with no degree of certainty for themselves or their families cannot be allowed continue.
“On the one hand it is meant to be Government policy to support those who wish to live in their own homes and communities and that is best done by providing Day Care Centres like Seven Springs, which gives both clients, carers and families the supports they need and are entitled to.
She said that it is not unreasonable to have this purpose built day centre re-opened on a full-time basis from September 1 and that is what the campaign is committed to working towards.
