Future Of Carrigaline Day Care Centre Is In Doubt
Writes Leo McMahon
What is to become of Carrigaline Senior Citizens Day Care Centre? That’s a question of deep concern for Agnes O’Reilly, Jean Lynch, Mary Meade and other voluntary committee members who were recently informed that the Health Service Executive (HSE) is not in a position to purchase nor continue its services at the premises in Mount Rivers that has proved to be an excellent facility for the elderly of South Cork for the past 27 years.
Here’s the dilemma. It is not the case that Carrigaline Senior Citizens Association wants to sell the premises but that it’s left with no alternative. A company limited by guarantee and owner of the premises, it currently has only has two directors, Agnes and Jean who are both in their eighties who cannot continue to run it without other directors and wish to step down. However, since no others have so far expressed a willingness to become directors, they must reluctantly wind up the company and charity. This means that the assets/affairs of the company must be dealt with and as there is no one to do so, these must be sold and dealt with by agreement with the Charity Regulator.
If replacement directors could be found, the arrangements for senior citizens could be continued, hence the need for the HSE to consider purchasing the building.
‘We cannot continue on. We’ve given our all over the past 40 years and did so well before the centre opened. We asked the HSE to buy the premises and take it over completely but it says it doesn’t have the resources to do so,’ said Agnes.
As a consequence, the building will have to go up for sale in the next two months since there is no one to run it and pay overheads such as electricity, water and refuse charges and part of the cost of insurance, all of which are down to the association.
‘We have put it to the HSE that if they bought the premises off us – for what isn’t a whole lot money – it could ensure continuity of a vital caring service to people from all over the Carrigdhoun area, from Ringaskiddy to Ballygarvan and from Minane Bridge to Douglas’, said Agnes.
One of those services, said Mary, is Meals-on-Wheels prepared and eaten at the centre or delivered to the homes of the elderly four days a week.
Jean said many of the people who regularly use the centre will be devastated if the centre closes.
One of them is Robert Buckley in Mount Rivers who lives across the road and told The Carrigdhoun : ‘I like the company and the things we do such as quizzes. I also get meals three days a week, so if it closes I will miss it enormously and it will be a big loss.’
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