THE FUTURE of St. Aidan’s Day Care Services in Gorey are bleak if further cutbacks are implemented and four unions have said they are becoming increasingly concerned that any more cutbacks will pose a serious threat to the future of services.

Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), IMPACT and SIPTU are jointly calling on the HSE not to implement any further cuts to funding for vital services provided for over 300 people in North Wexford.

Over the last five years funding has been reduced by over half a million euro and staff who have left the service have not been replaced at St. Aidan’s.

In order to deal with the budget cuts so far, management at St Aidan’s have had to implement a number of measures, including a 5.75% pay cut for staff, reduced sick pay, changed suppliers and insurance companies, and increased day service charges to families and service users.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Liz Curran, said: “St. Aidan’s Day Care Services in Gorey are already working under severe constraints and the current level of service is totally dependent on maintaining the current budget.”

David Morris said SIPTU is calling on the HSE to maintain the current funding levels for 2013.

St Aidan’s Day Care Centre provide services for people with a wide range of disabilities, children with special needs and for the older person, including residential care, day services for the elderly and for adults with special needs, pre-school education for children with special needs, rehabilitative training and respite care in the community.