Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Many day centres in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal and elsewhere have not reopened or only partially reopened since the Covid-19 pandemic. Before I go into detail as to the location of these centres, it is important to make clear why I am raising this matter. It is very simple. Day care centres are a lifeline for many older people. Above all, they provide company, a social setting and an opportunity to meet other people of a similar age in a social setting and to chat in a warm, safe and cosy space. Most day centres provide a meal and often a bit of entertainment, such as a sing-song, a few basic exercises or a game of cards. Crucially, most of them provide services like chiropody or shower facilities. It depends. They also provide people with information about their own healthcare. They also point them in the direction of other services that may help them.

I recently visited a day care centre in Ballymote, County Sligo, run by the Sligo LEADER group. It was just lovely. People were delighted to be there. They could not stop telling me how much it meant to them to have the centre for a few hours five days per week. It was a warm, welcoming and comfortable place. On the day I was there, there were musicians who I believe come regularly. Some people were brought to the centre by local bus services, while others walked and or got a lift. They got a great opportunity to have a chat about lots of different things, including with the staff. One of the things that struck me was that, for those few hours, two heated rooms of a decent size kept 20 people warm. People were delighted that their day care centre reopened. I will give a shout-out to the Sligo LEADER group and the HSE, which provided funding to make sure this happened. I asked person after person how much it meant to them because I had received various representations from people who were concerned about centres not reopening and every person was grateful to have this day care centre. I felt bad for the older people in other parts of Sligo and Leitrim, many of whom are living alone, who do not have such a centre.

I raised this matter with the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions with specific regard to St. Patrick's Community Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon, Arus Carolan in Mohill, the centre in Manorhamilton, which is down to two days, the Easky centre in County Sligo, those in Cliffoney and Carrigans, and the centre in Ramelton, County Donegal, about which I had a query. He said he would raise it with the Minister and, since then, I have received a response from the HSE.

St. Patrick's in Carrick-on-Shannon is a walk-in centre beside the old folks' home. Houses for older people were specifically built beside St. Patrick's so that people could be close to the day services. On any given day, 20 to 30 people might have dropped in. Sometimes people travelled by bus. Covid came and the service was closed. It never reopened. People want to know when the centre is going to reopen. In a response from the HSE, I was told that there was a number of other centres in Leitrim suitable for people and five were listed. Drumsna is 7 km away, Ballinamore is 28 km, Drumkeeran is 29 km, Carrigallen is 36 km and Ballinagleragh is 53 km away. Whoever sent me that response knows nothing about County Leitrim and older people getting to care centres.

What can be done about St. Patrick's and the Easky centre in County Sligo. The centre in Easky is still running two days a week only. We are told a recruitment campaign is under way. When can we hope for these centres to full reopen?

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