Laois health volunteers plead with Government for help

Laois volunteers with the mental health service SOSAD are pleading with Government to allocate funding to ensure it does not close completely.

SOSAD, Save our Sons and Daughters, which has a Portlaoise branch, has already has to shut down its text messaging service which allowed the people in search of help to reach them between 8pm and midnight.

Employees and volunteers with the national service travelled to the Dáil on March 4 to highlight what's described as a 'crisis point for the charity'.

They told TDs and Senators that despite a November 5, 2024 commitment from a Government Minister that funding would be provided, no interim or capital funding has been delivered.

They say that organisations such as the HSE and Pieta House, which receive substantial public funding, continue to refer people to SOSAD but the charity survives on volunteer efforts and community donations.

Carol Murphy, SOSAD General Manager, and Christy Bannon were among the Portlaoise repsenatives to meet politicians including Laois-based Sinn Féin senator Maria McCormack. SEE MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Kitty Colbert, Carol Murphy, SOSAD, General Manager, Brian Kelly TD, Joanna Burne SF, Cllr Debbie McCole SF, Rachel McInearney, Senator Maria McCormack, Christy Bannon, Gavin Lynch.

After the meeting, Sen McCormack called for immediate Government funding to prevent the closure of SOSAD which she said is a vital mental health charity that provides free, life-saving support in Portlaoise and across Ireland. She feared for its future.

READ ALSO: VITAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT HALTED

“SOSAD is a crucial service for our community, offering free one-to-one counselling and a 24-hour helpline for those in crisis. They provide DVT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) and suicide bereavement counselling, ensuring that nobody is left without  support. They don’t just refer people elsewhere—they stay with them until they get the help they need," she said in a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Sen McCormack said the organisation has been operating nationally since 2007 and in Portlaoise for the past three years but had to shut down its text message service due to financial struggles.

“It is devastating to think that some people in crisis prefer to write rather than speak, yet that option has been taken away because of a lack of funding. SOSAD is saving lives every day, and now they are being forced to wind down simply because the Government has failed to act,” she continued.

Sen McCormack said it is an important service in Laois. 

“Portlaoise is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing towns, and demand for mental health support is soaring. From 2023 to 2024, requests for SOSAD’s services increased by 85%, and they are seeing another 25% increase for 2025. If they close, what happens to those people? There is no alternative service that can replace them,” McCormack warned.

During the meeting, Sen McCormack said harrowing testimonies were shared by individuals whose lives SOSAD helped to save.

“The thought of this charity closing its doors in March is unthinkable. We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, and losing SOSAD would be a catastrophe. The Minister must act now. We need immediate interim funding to secure the service’s future,” McCormack declared.

Christy Bannon is a well-known mental health advocate in Laois who was part of the committee of local people who came together to open an office in Laois. He has since joined SOSAD's board. Sen McMcCormack said she would work with Mr Bannon to explore fundraising opportunities and continue pressuring the Government for action.

SOSAD has six offices based in Cavan, Louth, Laois, Meath and Monaghan