Laois Councillors slam HSE for loss of local Meals on Wheels

Laois County Councillor Catherine Fitzgerald has hit out against the HSE for the closing of Meals on Wheels in Portlaoise, and has called for the Council to contact agencies in relation to restarting the initiative.

Mr. Simon Walton, Director of Services at Laois County Council, have said that subject to HSE approval, the National Meals on Wheels Network are confident that other management, administrative and volunteer requirements of the service will be put in place, underpinning the re-introduction of a sustainable Meals on Wheels Service in Portlaoise.

“I am very disappointed, we were national news over Christmas, we are one of the only towns of this size in Ireland that doesn’t have Meals on Wheels," said Cllr Fitzgerald.

"We were at meetings in April and May to try and reorganise this, and in fairness all parties were willing. Laois County Council, Laois Partnership and fellow Councillors would all like to help however they could, but I haven’t heard a word since from any of the agencies," she said. 

Pictured: A meeting that took place in April to reinstate Meals on Wheels in Portlaoise. 

"I know one of the ladies involved is calling a meeting, with it subject to the HSE approval. The HSE are the people who closed Meals on Wheels in Portlaoise," Cllr Fitzgerald stated.

"They were running it, and the staff in Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise were very happy to provide that service. The HSE stopped it and gave it to a private provider, and what happened then was the providers just closed up. We were left as a community with no Meals on Wheels at all, and there’s a huge gap there," Cllr Fitzgerald stressed.

"This is a good while ago too. It’s a vital service for an awful lot of people, and it’s a serious issue. I am looking forward to this meeting, but we also need to really work hard at this. We have to get it moving, and we have to get all the agencies down to work  together to provide this vital service," Cllr Fitzgerald finished.

Labour Councillor Marie Tuohy seconded this motion from Cllr Fitzgerald, calling for the reintroduction of this service.

"I agree, I brought this motion before to get the different parties and agencies together, we had a few meetings and I was very hopeful when the national Meals on Wheels got involved," Cllr Tuohy said. 

Pictured: Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise

"I’m very disappointed at this stage that there isn’t a more positive response from the last meeting that we had with them.

"I had come out of it feeling good that it wasn’t all about the community kitchen, with a way to do it that centres in Dublin that supply up to 3,000 meals. A different way, not just block bought and reheated," Cllr Tuohy said.

"It’s disappointing, and we all know that there are different reasons people may need their food delivered. I collected an elderly lady yesterday from hospital, who was very careful at minding herself. But she was in hospital because she was diabetic, and she didn’t have the energy to cook properly for herself," Cllr Tuohy explained.

"There are so many reasons that a person may need meals delivered, it’s a vital service for a great number of people who would use it, more people than we would realise. The numbers delivered before were between 25 and 27 meals a week, I can’t even estimate the numbers that we would be delivering now,” she said.

Pictured: Meals on Wheels volunteers in Portarlington

“The meeting will take place on Thursday January 23 in the Parish Centre at 7:30pm. We need to get this message out, the more momentum we can get behind it, that’s how we can get this off the ground. But it has to be sustainable, we need to make sure that we are not back here in a year’s time,” Cllr Tuohy finished.

Independent County Councillor Caroline Dwane Stanley gave her full support to this motion, adding that the recent poor weather highlighted the massive efforts made by Portlaoise volunteers, and the necessity for such a service. 

"Cllr Fitzpatrick was right, the HSE did close down this service," Cllr Dwane Stanley agreed.

"With the recent bad weather we had, that was when it was really felt by people. An issue like that really brings it to the fore. I know from all the frontline services that were out helping people in that bad weather, volunteers such as the Civil Defence were up morning noon and night, and they were helping vulnerable people to hospitals and home," she said.

"For who aren’t able to take care of themselves and are going home to an empty house, a meal would make such a big difference. I think with the size of our community, the volunteers are there and willing to do it. We shouldn’t be coming up against red tape for a service that never should have been discontinued," Cllr Dwane Stanley finished.

Newly appointed Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Buggy suggested a potential route for the reintroduction of Meals on Wheels to Portlaoise.

"A lot of private restaurants are under severe pressure, and unable to take on the additional needs of providing meals, while they would do it in a heart and a half," Cllr Buggy said.

"But they have to try and stay in business too, and that is proving more difficult every week. Maybe we should consider the companies that provide the school meals, that maybe an extra contract be signed with them for the provision of these meals," he suggested.

"They are available almost all year round, and they have the buying power to afford to produce meals at an affordable price," Cllr Buggy finished.

This motion was tabled at the January sitting of Laois County Council's Portlaoise Municipal District.