Closed €5m youth centre still a financial burden

THE €5 million centre built in Limerick four years ago to accommodate disturbed youths is still a huge financial burden on the Health Service Executive (HSE) Mid West, even though it remains shut.

Coovagh House cost €1.5m in wages in 2004, although it closed in April of that year. A further €138,000 was spent in 2004 to provide security at the closed down unit.

Fine Gael Spokesman on Children’s Affairs Dan Neville has been informed that the wages bill arises from staff who worked at Coovagh House before it closed and who were deployed elsewhere in the health service.