Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced an additional €620,000 for Wicklow Hospice.
The Minister made the announcement as he visited staff at the Hospice who are preparing to admit their first patients early next week. The Hospice is expected to be operating at its full 15 bed capacity by the end of January next year.
In addition to the 15 individual rooms the Hospice will offer day care, outpatient clinics, respite care as well as access to multidisciplinary specialist services.
Minister Stephen Donnelly praised the extraordinary work done by local volunteers over the past decade in getting the Hospice open. The Wicklow Hospice Foundation raised €5 million through donations and fundraising in the community.
Today the Minister for Health announced the Hospice would be receiving an additional €620,000 from the once-off €10 million fund to support palliative care in 2020.
Minister Donnelly said: “Seeing the Hospice preparing to accept their first patients is a really important day.
“It’s a day the people of Wicklow have been waiting a long time to arrive and have worked incredibly hard to make happen.
“I have been a strong supporter of this project from the beginning because I know just how badly it is needed for the county.
“I’m really delighted to meet with the staff today as they prepare for the arrival of the first in-patients to this fantastic facility.
“It’s hard to find the words to express the respect and admiration I have for the work they do.
“I know this Hospice will be a vital support for families all over Wicklow at a time when they really need it.”
“And it will be a great resource for the community for many years to come.”
