Labour Deputy Ged Nash has called on the government to honour a commitment it made prior to the election to provide bridging funding for the SOSAD service until it can agree a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and ongoing funding with the HSE.

The call from Deputy Nash comes as the local charity announced it would have to close its digital messaging service because it can no longer afford the €4,000 a month cost of the facility.

Deputy Ged Nash explained: “Back in November, the then Minister of State for Mental Health, Mary Butler made an apparent commitment to provide bridging funding to SOSAD as they continue to work with the HSE on a possible secure, ongoing form of multi-annual funding for the organisation.

“We are now the other side of the election but that commitment has not been honoured and SOSAD finds itself in financial crisis.

“This week’s announcement that the charity has been forced to close its online messaging service, is clear evidence that SOSAD needs public funding and it needs it now.”

The Louth Labour TD said: “This is a local charity that saves lives, week in and week out and it’s being forced to close a potentially life-saving service for the want of just €4,000 a month.

“It’s important to say to those out there in need of SOSAD’s vital services, that it’s 24-hour phone line remains open and this closure only relates to its digital messaging service but without immediate action, the charity’s service could be under existential threat.”

Deputy Nash said: “The demand for SOSAD’s services is unfortunately growing. Last year, they saw 1,914 clients and provided some 428 hours of counselling, each week, and they offered 22,243 free and confidential sessions to people managing mental health issues.”

He added: “I’ve been engaging with the charity for some time now and last week I formally called for bridging funding from the Minister of Health for SOSAD, in a Parliamentary Question.

 “The response was one that SOSAD were all too familiar with and is deeply frustrating.

“The response from the Minister for Health simply outlines the steps the charity is already taking in concert with the HSE’s Mental Health Services but contains no commitment to bridging funding while they go through that process, a commitment the charity believed they had already secured back in November.”

Deputy Nash said: “SOSAD have provided a life-saving service to the people of the North-East for two decades and it has been able to do so, due to the generosity of local people who have kept the charity alive with their donations and the selfless and dedicated hard work of volunteers and staff of the charity.

“This life-saving service cannot be allowed to wither on the vine and the government have to step in now and provide emergency funding to sustain the charity through the months of preparation it will need to go through to secure ongoing engagement and funding from the HSE.”