Aiseiri plan launched

Clarity and simplicity are at the core of the three-year strategic plan for Aiséirí which was launched at the Aislinn Centre in Ballyragget on Monday.

The Minister with responsibility for Primary Care, Alex White launched the new merged Aiséirí service which will now combine expertise at four previously autonomous centres – Aiséirí Aislinn for adolescents in Ballyragget, Aiséirí adult centres in Wexford and Tipperary and a follow-on service in Waterford called Aiséirí Céim Eile. Combined, the new merged Aiséirí service will now provide community and residential care to people from as young as age 15 to adulthood living with alcohol, drug and gambling addictions.

Chairman of the board, Mr Tony Walsh welcomed the guests and speakers and acknowledged the ‘huge work done by people on the frontline’.

The Minister described the contribution made by Aiséirí to addiction services in Ireland over the past 30 years as ‘truely remarkable’.

Sr Eileen Fahey spoke at the launch about the history of the centre and thanked the trustees, the board of directors, fundraisers, facilitators, staff and medical personnel and stressed the importance that the ‘treatment be financially assessible for all clients’.

“We are there to help clients believe in themselves and trust in themselves,” he said.

Chief Executive of Aiséirí, Paul Conlon said that in compiling the strategic plan for the future they had taken all the history and experience of the the past 30 years into account.