“Pressure must remain on HSE to deliver vital funding to Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Service” - TD

Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan and local election candidate Jonathan O’Meara have visited Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Group in Tullamore as part of their ongoing campaign to ensure that funding supports from the HSE are delivered as soon as possible.

Last week Deputy Nolan secured a commitment from Tánaiste Micheál Martin that he would direct the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and the HSE to reengage with a funding request from Dochas after it emerged that without a significant amount of such support the vital service would struggle to maintain full operational viability.

Since then, the Group has received contact from the HSE with respect to a meeting that is to be facilitated in order that the HSE become more familiar with the nature of the service that is being extended to the local community and its importance:

“I want to thank manager of Dochas, John Conroy, for inviting Jonathan and I to attend today, which we were both delighted to agree to given how absolutely essential this service is for the people of Tullamore, Offaly and indeed the wider community of people involved in the cancer support network. It was a very constructive, insightful, and worthwhile meeting,” said Deputy Nolan.

“I have offered my ongoing assistance to Dochas, and I have given it a firm commitment that I will continue to highlight this matter until the ink is dry on the sign-off around funding supports.”

“We have managed to build some momentum on the issue in the last couple of weeks; now it is time to ensure that this process ends on a positive note for all involved,” concluded Deputy Nolan.