The shock
news this morning on Boyletoday.com that two mental health facilities in Boyle
are earmarked for closure is yet another example of the "close rural
Ireland" mentality at any cost of this Government.
Staff at Willow Grove day centre in the grounds
of the Plunkett Home and Renbrack Hostel in Deerpark are understood to have
been told of the closures at a meeting with HSE personnel on Wednesday.
Fears are growing over the potential closure of up to seven mental health facilities in county Roscommon.Day care centres and hostels in Boyle, Strokestown, Ballaghadereen, Athleague and Castlerea are among those set to be closed under the Vision for Change policy.
Here we
have a situation where the most vulnerable in society are being used to save
money.
Do the HSE
have any bone of compassion at all? Do they stop to think what effect, the
closure of establishments that service users have become familiar with, will
have on those who use them? Do we have any compassion for the loyal staff who
are also being affected?
It is
sickening to see Minister Harris come to Boyle in a blaze of publicity four
weeks ago to announce details of the primary care centre while less than 4
weeks later the HSE, which is under his remit, comes to the same location to
inform staff that they are closing the facilities. Is there any interaction
between the Minister and his departments?
While the
staff may be relocated and the service users integrated into the community, the
fact remains that here in Boyle we are faced once again with another closure.
How much
more can we take? How much more fight is left in those who care for our town?
It would
seem that rural Ireland and Boyle in particular is the forgotten child of this
government.
We cannot
allow this to happen and need to protest to the highest level or what will come
next? Our Post Office? Our Railway Station?