Mental Health Project Faces Funding Cuts

A project set up to provide care and support for people who are trying to get their lives back on track during or following an illness, is struggling to survive on foot of the Health Service Executive's (HSE) decision to withdraw €150,000 in funding.

Slí Eile, was set up by Joan Hamilton in Charleville, Co Cork to help her own daughter. It focuses on human contact, reintegration and confidence building.

There are five tenants who pay a small amount of rent each week for bed and board, however, the withdrawal of funding from North Cork HSE, has placed the future of the initiative in doubt.

Although it still receives money on a monthly basis, without the security of annual funding it is vulnerable.

According to an HSE spokesperson, it is undertaking a review of the service, which will be completed "shortly."

One tenant, who was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at 18, had been through the system repeatedly before she eventually found her way to Slí Eile, which supports recovery and helps people to relearn life skills.

Ciara O'Connor, 41, commented: "I have been in and out of hospital since I was 18 and I have been at home in bed for a year-and-a-half. The stress and worry it has caused my parents is unreal. I have been here four weeks, and it is great just to have a purpose again. We get up early every morning, bake scones and bread and deliver them into town as part of the home-baking venture. We take turns in cooking and cleaning, and the day flies. I feel very positive and was home at the weekend for a family event and integrated with everyone.

"There is always someone here to help you and there are four other girls here and we get great support from one another. I will stay here until I feel confident to live independently again."

Her father John said he would like to see this project "augmented around the country; it has to be the way forward. It is the ideal model of care." See: slieilehousing.com/

(JG)