Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, I will respond. I met with members of SOSAD Ireland before the election, when they expressed their concerns about keeping the doors open. I acknowledged that the organisation does a huge amount of very good counselling work in the different regions Deputies represent. There has been constant engagement with SOSAD Ireland following the election and since I have been back in my role. I was disappointed initially that it took quite a while for the HSE to engage with the organisation but that has now been resolved. The main issue I have to raise in regard to funding for any section 39 organisation is that there is a spending code in respect of taxpayers' money. In allocating funding to any organisation under a service level agreement, boxes must be ticked in regard to previous accounts and in respect of clinical and other governance on the part of the organisation. The HSE is not satisfied at the moment that this governance is in place in the case of SOSAD Ireland. However, it is working with the organisation to put that governance in place and to try to secure a service level agreement. I receive updates on a weekly basis.

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