Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

26. To ask the Minister for Health his budget allocations for a service (details supplied). [47977/17]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Good2Talk Counselling and Psychotherapy Support Services in Mullingar is a counselling service that offers crisis intervention and long-term crisis prevention, helping clients to develop healthier coping strategies, preventing suicide and high-risk behavioural patterns. It deals with financially disadvantaged clients aged from 16 years and many different ethnic groups. It has made an application for funding. Its funding was cut by the HSE in previous years. Can it look forward to good news in 2018?

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Good2Talk Counselling and Psychotherapy Support Services is a counselling service based in Mullingar that covers County Westmeath.

Good2Talk was awarded funding through the HSE resource office for suicide prevention of €25,000 for 2014 and €39,600 for 2015. In addition, it received €18,000 under the National Lottery grant scheme for 2016, and has, I understand, made an application under the National Lottery grant scheme for 2017.

The HSE funding was accessed by the resource office for suicide prevention under the community resilience funding stream financed by the National Office for Suicide Prevention. This funding stream ended in 2015 with the advent of the national strategy, Connecting for Life, in 2015. The ending of the community resilience funding stream after 2015 was communicated to all of the recipients of the funding, including Good2Talk. All future needs for funding will be assessed under the provisions and implementation of the new county suicide prevention plans, which aim to develop and implement consistent multi-agency suicide-prevention action plans to enhance communities' capacity to respond to suicidal behaviours. Good2Talk has been informed about the development of the Connecting for Life implementation plan for Longford and Westmeath and has been invited to participate in the plan's consultation process.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is noticeable that the Minister of State failed to outline the funding for 2016 and 2017, which was cut. It was cut because of what happened in Console. Rightly the Department had to ensure that State money that was being allocated was going to help the people who needed it.

Good2Talk is governed by a board of directors. It complies with the CRA requirements. It works within clear guidelines, policies and procedures, working towards transparency and accountability. Its accounts are audited every year and presented at its AGM. Its clinical work is guided by best-practice guidelines and ethical guidelines of the IACP. In 2013 it dealt with 167 clients; in 2014 it dealt with 397 clients; in 2015 it dealt with 480 clients; in 2016 it dealt with 444 clients; and this year it has dealt with approximately 485 clients. It is dealing with people who need help and it is filling a gap the HSE is leaving wide open. It needs to know if it will be eligible and in receipt of much-needed State funding for 2018.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This is not a reflection on Good2Talk; it is a change in the system for allocating funding that was announced to all organisations, including Good2Talk, in 2015. Many of the organisations are admittedly doing very good work but on an ad hoc basis. We need to streamline that and understand what everyone is doing. It is one of the reasons I want to see the introduction of a national phone line which co-ordinates all of these services and directs people appropriately. It is not possible to have a bottom-up service delivery system; we need a nationally co-ordinated system with localised delivery. That is what we announced in 2015 with the Connecting for Life strategies that are being rolled out in every county. Every county has its own specific means and demands on it. From here on in funding will be allocated on a countywide perspective and not on a nationwide perspective. This was communicated in 2015 to Good2Talk in 2015, as it was to all other organisations.

Good2Talk has made an application for national lottery funding.

It also takes contributions towards the delivery of the service and organises many charitable collections. That is the way matters will remain until the local Connecting for Life strategy is rolled out countrywide and then decisions on funding will be made by it. I suggest that the Deputy take this matter up with the people involved with the strategy. It is a local issue. It is not a matter for my Department and neither the Department nor I will be making a decision on the allocation of funding.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When will the local people be making the decision? This organisation has failed to secure any State funding for the past two years despite the large number of people it is supporting. The Minister of State was correct in what he said. This organisation has organised bucket collections and fundraising cycling events. The former Taoiseach, at my invitation, participated in a fundraising cycle event not alone to raise money but to create awareness of this service. It is not right or proper that people are out in wet weather shaking buckets and selling scratch cards and lotto tickets in order to provide a service that the State should be providing. I accept the service needs to be streamlined to avoid duplication but there is no duplication of this service in Mullingar. These are the people providing the service in Mullingar. They still do not know the funding for which the organisation will be eligible next year. That is not right. They must be given a clear timeframe in order that they might know the funding for which they will qualify next year. It is not fair to expect people to provide a service voluntarily and for tens of people to fundraise voluntarily for that service, which should be provided for by the State.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's passion with respect to this service. He has a serious conviction and commitment to the cause, and I salute that. I will ask the HSE to outline the answers to the questions he has posed. I cannot answer as to what it will do locally. Therefore, I will ask the HSE to communicate directly with the Deputy to provide clarity on that. I appreciate that every organisation wants to know where it stands into the future in the context of its requirements and the funding resources on which it can depend. I will ask the HSE to clarify the position. I am aware that the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, visited the organisation in June 2014. This is not a reflection on Good2Talk or the work it is doing; this is a changing of the systems. I will ask the HSE to clarify the position for the Deputy.