Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for joining us. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter for discussion. Willow Community Counselling Services was founded by Sharon Malloy in 2018. It is managed by a dedicated board of directors. I wish to again put on record that I am one of those directors. I am seeking additional funding because I was told at a board meeting I attended last Thursday night that money is running out. If the service does not get additional funding, it will only last another couple of months.

Willow, and I as one of its board members, are extremely grateful for the €47,500 it has already received from the HSE this year. It has put that money to good use, making a direct and significant impact in Athy and the surrounding area this year. Like many towns of its size, Athy, which is my home town, has experienced an increase in the number of those needing help and advice with drug addiction. Without additional funding, Willow will have to close its doors in the coming weeks, which would have a detrimental and devastating effect on those who are coming through its doors in ever-increasing numbers.

Willow is the most effective local service in Athy. It has built on the trust Sharon and her team established with people in recent years. This trust has reached many within the community who previously never engaged but, rather, kept to themselves and shunned attempts to help them. Some years ago, Willow predicted a growing crack cocaine problem not just in south Kildare but in rural towns and communities throughout the State. Unfortunately, that prediction has come true. Those treating crack cocaine users point out that the fact there is no clinical substitute for the drug makes clinical detox problematic because the client first needs to cease using crack cocaine. This is why we need to fund established schemes such as Willow, which has proven it can get to those who need its help most and in recent years has established trust such that 80% of its clients come to its doors by word of mouth.

In the short few years since it was set up, Willow has seen an increase of more than 100% in the hours needed to reach out to those who need its help most. The group needed to find and relocate to a new premises which offers more room and privacy to treat those who need assistance. The new premises can now accommodate group therapy sessions, which are another important step on the road to recovery, as the Minister of State may be aware. Without the necessary funding, however, Willow will not be able to progress to this important step in what it can offer to those who need its help.

In recent weeks, I have spoken in confidence to several people who have been through the doors of Willow. The one issue that comes up is the life-changing experience that using Willow's services has been for them, to the extent that they are now offering to fundraise to keep the doors open. They do not want anybody to lose out on the wonderful service they received. They want to ensure the services are there for anyone who needs them. Last Thursday night, I heard they are organising fun walks, golf classics and fishing classics. That is what is happening. I hope the Minister of State will have good news for the service today.

Athy and south Kildare have their problems but those problems are also present in other towns and communities throughout the State. We are told by those in the know that drug use is a coping mechanism for trauma.We have a service in Athy in south Kildare that is working, growing and, most importantly, needed. There is no need to set up another service or even start again. I hope the Government recognises the importance of this service in the area where I live. I hope the Minister of State comes with some good news because Willow Community Counselling Services have made a difference to Athy in recent years. The Minister of State is most welcome to come to Athy any time and talk to those who have been through their doors.