Catherine Connolly TD has said that a lack of appropriate governance structures is one of the reasons behind the closure of Time 4 Us which is due to happen by the end of March.
The Galway West TD says she contacted both the Board of the service and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone to clarify the situation.
In response to Deputy Connolly’s question the Minister confirmed the background of the service and the number of families using it, unfortunately however the reply didn’t deal with the kernel of the question, namely what plans have been put in place to ensure that Time4Us remains open.
The response from a member of the Board of Time4Us confirmed that the core difficulties are the lack of appropriate governance structures along with appropriate skill mix on the Board.
Deputy Connolly said that these reasons, while important, should not lead to the closure of this essential service but should be dealt with in a practical and pragmatic manner.
In the event and given the outcry at the proposed closure, the directors arranged a meeting with the elected representatives of Galway last Monday with a view to further clarification on the matter.
Cartherine Connolly TD said that it was agreed by all present that a solution has to be found to keep this service open. In this regard Deputies Catherine Connolly, Hildegarde Naughten and Anne Rabbitte agreed to raise the proposed closure as a matter of urgency in the Dáil. Minister of State Seán Kyne agreed to arrange an urgent meeting with Minister Katherine Zappone and the Directors of the service are to have a meeting with Galway representatives in the next few weeks.
