Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 April 2012
1185 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the funding streams that will be available to a group (details supplied) in County Louth which provides services for people in the county and surrounding areas. [18517/12]
View answer1300 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 558 on 13 March 2012, the further progress that has been made in relation to the issue of funding for a group (details supplied) to allow it to provide counselling services. [18522/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1185 and 1300 together.
My Department has a National Lottery discretionary fund in place which provides once-off grants to community groups and organisations, providing a range of health related services. Dignity 4 Patients received lottery funding of €69,000 from my Department's 2011 allocation of National Lottery Funding towards the once-off cost of providing an office, a website, a helpline and office administration. An application for 2012 Lottery funding has recently been received by my Department from Dignity 4 Patients and is currently being considered. It must be stressed that lottery funding is once-off discretionary funding and is not intended to provide a source of ongoing revenue funding.
On-going funding for any service is a matter for the HSE and accordingly I previously asked the HSE to liaise with Dignity 4 Patients to consider if any additional funding might be approved to support activities which were complementary to services offered by the HSE. I understand the HSE is currently in contact with Dignity 4 Patients in order to sign off on a Grant Aid Agreement to cover the running costs for the Organisation's County Louth office.
The HSE will not be issuing funding to Dignity 4 Patients for counselling services. All counselling services to service users will be provided via the National Counselling Service.
