Suicide prevention group forced to close €4,000-a-month messaging service due to lack of funding

A suicide prevention group has been forced to shut an emergency messaging service because it is in a “crisis over funding and at risk of closing”.

The Dáil heard the organisation, Sosad, which relies solely on donations, has had to ask clients to contact its offices for supports via email after it closed its €4,000-per-month messaging service.

TDs in Cavan and Louth have asked the Taoiseach to intervene as the service awaits the outcome of an application for charitable status from the HSE.

Sosad provides mental health supports in communities across Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Laois.

The volunteer-led group holds sessions for people who have anxiety and depression or who have been bereaved or suffering with self-harm and suicidal ideation.

The organisation’s chief executive Carol Murphy told the Irish Examiner Sosad was in a financial crisis.

“We are really concerned because we have more than 600 clients coming to us every week,” she said.

“We have been fundraising and receiving donations for nearly 18 years to keep this work going.

Our services are vital for people suffering in the community. We urgently need core funding — we do not have a charitable status yet, which would help enormously.

“We have no reserves, and we are basically working month-to-month, but could close at any stage. It has never been this bad.

“It has been so hard for people in the past 18 months, in particular, as donations are falling off everywhere; we have no cash flow."

The group has six full-time employees and 10 part-time staff, while the remainder are all volunteers.

“We have 187 counsellors, some are accredited, some are qualified and working towards being accredited,” said Ms Murphy.

The messaging service was for people who did not wish to speak to volunteers directly.

“Overall, it costs €700,000 for us to run Sosad for the entire year,” she said. 

“We keep everything to a minimum but it’s also because we are a volunteer-led charity.

“Our funding goes into our overheads, utilities, insurance, computers, software, and hardware. We take the salaries for that small group of staff and that is it.

“Everything from boxes of tissues to tea or coffee is all raised through donations and funding.

We are down to the wire, we have no reserves to draw on and we are just about scraping through every month. We won’t be able to do it for much longer.

“We could close at any stage if we don’t get enough money to keep us going.”

In a statement, the HSE said: “Sosad is not currently funded by HSE Louth Meath Mental Health Services.

“Funding to organisations such as Sosad is arranged through the section 39 process via local HSE Mental Health Services.

“The HSE met with Sosad in January to provide guidance on the specific information required and understand that Sosad are now working to provide all of this relevant information to the HSE.”