A DAYCARE facility that assists lonely and vulnerable older people in north Dublin may be forced to close if it does not receive "agreed" funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE), it warned last night.
The Nethercross Daycare Centre caters for 100 older men and women in the Finglas area each week, but it has an outstanding budget deficit of more than €125,000.
The service was established following a study of healthcare needs commissioned by the HSE.
It has been running at a loss since late 2006, said Respond Housing Association, which manages the local resource, and the housing charity said it is owed rent of more than €10,000 from the HSE.
Respond claimed it has not received any rent since 2006 for a section of the premises it leases to the HSE that contains a community paediatric occupational therapy service.
Respond said it was forced in April to issue the HSE with a notice to quit, but this was ignored "by the HSE and the organisation has made no offer of rent", said Michael O'Connor of Respond.
"This situation has been incredibly frustrating for Respond. We have been left in the position of trying to meet the shortfall of costs caused by the HSE failing to meet their obligations. We have been in negotiations with six different HSE representatives regarding this matter, without a satisfactory outcome," Mr O'Connor said.
A HSE spokeswoman said it will be making contact with Respond to further "discussions in order to maintain the valuable service provided".
She pointed out the HSE has not withdrawn funding and suggested that "no agreement regarding the payment of rent for a section of the premises at Nethercross has ever been signed by either Respond or the HSE".