
A Donegal TD is calling for assurances that money saved by the temporary closure of the Seaview Respite House in Mountcharles for the past year will not go to plug funding gaps elsewhere.
Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle says the HSE’s total budget in 2018 for Seaview House amounted to €478,414.
However, since it’s closure in December 2018, the total HSE budget for Seaview in 2019 to date amounted to €320,499, making a saving of €157,915.
Deputy Pringle says he wants savings made by the HSE to be ringfenced for children with disabilities and their families in Donegal.
Responding to Deputy Pringle’s statement, the HSE says the 2019 budget costs include the pay costs of existing Seaview staff that were reassigned to fill vacancies in other Intellectual Disability Services throughout South Donegal.
The HSE says this accounts for the majority of the 2019 budget.
It added that Seaview will reopen on 13th January 2020 under the management of Rehab Care, and that it apologises for the inconvenience caused to service users and their families for the delay in transferring of services to Rehab Care.