SOCIAL Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan has hit out at the lack of specific therapy and grief supports in Limerick for children whose parents have died by suicide.
Cllr O’Donovan said she was contacted by two separate families where a parent had died by suicide and the children were unable to access any therapy in Limerick.
“I was really surprised when I heard this as, in my opinion, grief for a child is the same in whatever circumstance a parent dies in,” she told the Limerick Post.
“I contacted the Children’s Grief Project first to ask as children impacted had been turned away from this service and received the following response: ‘Currently we do not work with children bereaved as a result of suicide, as Pieta House provide a direct work service to children’,” Cllr O’Donovan said.
“I cannot understand why the Children’s Grief Project would have this criteria as grief is grief.”
The City West representative was told by parents that Pieta House in the Mid West do not provide therapy services, only provide a bereavement liaison officer.
“Pieta have offered individual therapy sessions in Dublin for some children. While BlueBox offers really excellent creative therapies, it is not specialised bereavement support for children,” she Social Democrats councillor said.
“It’s a real gap in services and supports.”
In a response to the local representative, which she described as “totally inadequate”, the HSE said there are a range of suicide bereavement supports for children and adults in Limerick.
Limerick Bereavement Network, a local collective of organisations, provide general bereavement support, Cllr O’Donovan was informed. The HSE also explained that there are a range of other agencies that will support children and young people bereaved by suicide.
“While these services are not specifically focused on suicide bereavement, they include family resource centres, Jigsaw, and Limerick Youth Services,” the Social Democrats councillor was told.
The Children’s Grief Centre, the group said, provides support to children and young people affected by loss through death, separation, or divorce.
“It also offers a safe and supportive listening service for children, young people and their families who are grieving.”
Cllr O’Donovan said that “suggesting that an adult can access services and then support the children, or recommending a book, is just not sufficient.”
“I will be requesting that the Children’s Grief Project, which receives funding from the HSE, reassess their referral criteria to ensure children bereaved by suicide may access supports there.”
The HSE Mid West, Cllr O’Donovan was also told, provides €15,000 core funding to the Children’s Grief Centre annually.
“In addition to the core funding, the HSE Mid West also allocated an additional €30,000 once-off payment in both 2024 and 2025. This additional funding was allocated in recognition of the valuable service provided by the Centre in supporting children and families across the MidWest.
“The HSE received approval to provide €450,000 to the Children’s Grief Centre towards the cost of their new centre in O’Connell Avenue. These monies will be transferred to the Grief Centre as soon as ongoing legal issues have been resolved.”
