There was a further “hammer blow to services” at St. Aidan’s Day Care Centre at Millands, Gorey, this week when it was revealed that the HSE is withdrawing motor insurance cover for the eight vehicles used to transport almost 100 clients to avail of daily services.

Last week, THE GOREY ECHO, exclusively reported that four unions at the Centre were becoming increasingly concerned that any more cutbacks will pose a serious threat to the future of services.

In a letter from the HSE South headquarters at George’s St., Wexford, seen by THE GOREY ECHO, the General Manager, Jeanne Hendrick, has advised the Manager at St. Aidan’s, Maura Kelly, of changes implemented by the HSE.

The letter says; “I regret to advise that from 2013 the HSE will no longer be organising motor insurance for voluntary bodies and you are required to source and pay for motor insurance for all vehicles.”

Maura Kelly says that the extra cost of motor insurance to the Centre will be in the region of €8,000 to €10,000 annually.

“We don’t have that money. We have already been cut so severely that there is nowhere to get it except to fundraise,” said Ms. Kelly, who added, “This is a hammer blow to us. We are faced with another dilemma.”

The fleet of vehicles used to take clients to the Centre were donated by the fundraising of generous people and organisations in the North Wexford and one arrived following the People In Need effort.

Earlier the HSE had ‘capped’ the number of buses it would insure.

“We have had huge cuts and we will probably get more. The situation is very serious,” stated a concerned Ms. Kelly.

Full story in THE GOREY ECHO.