Staff shortage: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has missed another deadline to reopen a €5 million special care unit for disturbed teenage boys that has lain idle for almost two years, writes Gordon Deegan
The HSE had planned to reopen Coovagh House in Limerick last month after missing a previous deadline last May. However, the HSE has been unable to secure a manager for the centre, despite advertising twice in 2005 for the post, while it has also been unsuccessful in appointing a psychologist even though the post has been offered on three separate occasions in the past year.
In all, over the past four years, the HSE has spent almost €250,000 in recruitment drives to staff the centre, which has annual running costs of €1.8 million. The post of manager has now been readvertised and is awaiting applicants.
A HSE spokesman said yesterday: "Recruitment of suitable and available candidates for specialised positions such as these is difficult because of the limited availability of people and the various other career options throughout the public and private sector."
Over the past four years, the centre, which has capacity for five boys, has been operational for only seven months due to an ongoing staff crisis. It has remained closed since April 2004 and during the past four years has cared for only two boys.Thirty-two of the 46 staff to needed to operate the centre have been recruited.
Unable to give a date for the centre reopening, the spokesman said: "It is intended to reopen Coovagh House subject to appropriate arrangements in relation to the management of the service." He confirmed that inquiries had been received in relation to possible placements.
Labour's health spokeswoman, Liz McManus, said yesterday that the HSE must bear responsibility for failing to re-open the centre. "It appears that it is not receiving the priority that it needs," she said."It is unacceptable that this centre has been closed for so long. There is a desperate need for these centres to be open for troubled kids and there are increasing numbers of children living on the streets and out of control and if centres like this aren't reopened, you will have adults in severe difficulty."
Fine Gael's health spokesman, Dr Liam Twomey, said yesterday: "This centre hasn't received any political priority and the HSE doesn't act until there is a crisis and I believe that the executive has underestimated the manpower needed to run the centre."
The centre, along with two others in Dublin and Cork, was established by Government on foot of a High Court order by Mr Justice Peter Kelly in 2000 compelling the State to provide such care due to there being no secure accommodation for the out-of-control teenagers who were coming before him.
The Coovagh centre is is in the grounds of St Joseph's psychiatric hospital and will cater for troubled boys aged 11-17 from the south, southeast and midwest.