Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, Norma Foley, on Thursday visited to Sligo and meet with staff, service users and families across respite, residential, day and children’s disability services.
Minister Foley said: “I’m very pleased to visit Sligo today to see, first‑hand, the dedication and innovation that underpin disability services across this region. The work being done by the HSE, its partners and by families and communities is truly impressive. These services play a vital role in supporting children and adults with disabilities to live full, connected and meaningful lives.”
“The new developments I’m visiting today including expanded respite capacity, new residential homes, and strengthened community-based supports, reflect ongoing commitment and investment to improving disability services nationwide.”
Minister Foley will begin her visit at Suaimhneas, a newly renovated and extended children’s respite centre on Pearse Road, Sligo.
The new centre will provide a 4‑bed children’s residential respite service, operating seven nights a week. It will also supply up to 1,546 bed nights per year supporting children aged 6-18 with autism, intellectual disability, and physical and sensory disabilities, as well as day respite and community‑based support activities.
The Minister will then visit two recently opened community homes at Seaville in Sligo town. These homes provide modern accommodation, ensuring long-term, high-quality housing supported directly by HSE disability services.
Later, at Nazareth House, the Minister will meet staff from the Sligo-South Donegal Children’s Disability Network Team, which provides services to hundreds of children and families and plays a key role in early intervention, family support and therapeutic planning across the region.
This will be followed by a visit to the Community Connect Inclusion Hub at Cleveragh Business Park, a newly refurbished HSE day service for adults with disabilities. The centre supports independence and community participation and features innovative tools such as Multi Me software to support communication and goal setting.
The hub forms part of a wider network of adult day services across Sligo/Leitrim, supporting 473 adults across both HSE run and funded provider services.
Minister Foley will conclude her programme with a visit to the Tubbercurry Family Resource Centre (FRC), recognising the vital role community and family support services play in supporting children, young people and families.
This community-based service is in operation since 2003. It provides services for over 90 children, from infants to six years of age, through the free, universal two-year Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE), sessional and full-time care.
The centre received over €750,000 in funding from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality’s the Building Blocks scheme for a new extension containing 50 additional early learning and childcare places.
This final leg of the minister’s visit follows the recent announcement of funding for 10 further FRCs across the country, bringing their total number to 136 nationwide.
Minister Foley added: “I want to acknowledge the leadership and commitment shown by staff across all the locations that I’m visiting today, and their strong partnerships with families and communities. Today’s visits demonstrate the significant progress underway and the positive impact these services will have for children, adults and families across Sligo and the wider region. I look forward to returning later this spring for the official opening of the Suaimhneas respite centre.”
