€750,000 spent on special care centre for troubled teens

The HSE yesterday confirmed that it has spent €750,000 on works on a special care centre for troubled teens which will now not re-open until late May, over five months later that originally planned.

Last June, the HSE closed Coovagh House in Limerick for upgrade works to take place. The works were undertaken “to increase safety in the unit, to increase natural daylight, and to improve the general ambiance.”

Coovagh House is one of three special care units for teenagers operated by the HSE, and documents show that in the first six months of last year, the State spent €1.3m caring for three teenagers at the special care unit, over €440,000 per teen and €250,000 over budget for the period.

The centre employed 37 staff to care for the three teenagers — two boys and one girl — when it was open last year.

The centre also had one teenager in aftercare during the period.

The overspend between January and June of last year totalled €273,194, with an overspend of €255,615 on pay being the main factor.

The centre has been bedeviled by delayed openings before – it was finished in 2002, but remained unoccupied for one year as the HSE failed to secure the staff to allow the centre to open.

It finally opened in 2003, but only for a brief period, and staff recruitment difficulties prevented the centre not coming into full operation until June 2007.

The HSE has stated that the works will enhance the special care environment and improve children’s experience at the centre.

HSE spokeswoman said that in a parallel process to the revamp, expressions of interests were sought to fill the vacant manager’s post.

“With the appointment of a manager, it is expected that the centre will reopen towards the end of May 2012. Existing staff are currently reassigned to other centres within the service.”

Michael McNamara, TD (Lab), who tabled a Dáil question on the issue, said yesterday: “I am glad that the centre is re-opening, but it is a lot later than I would have liked.”