To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1620 of 18 April 2023, if he will increase the level of funding requested for 2023 and ringfence additional annual funding for a meals-on-wheels service, without which the organisation will have to cease operations for a vital community service meeting the nutritional needs of a local elderly population in County Meath (Sona Sásta Meals on Wheels Service, Summerhill, Co. Meath are grateful for the acknowledgment that annual funding is required to allow stability for the service, the volunteers and all those who depend on it. As the department will be aware an allocation of €40,000 was sought for the year 2023 for the service. A smaller sum of €30,000 was granted after much appealing and protest. This €30,000 subsidised by many fundraisers, donations and volunteer labour will just allow Sona Sásta Meals on Wheels to remain operational for the current year. This situation is not likely to change for 2024. It is not viable for the organisation locally to make up the additional €10,000 shortfall in 2024. Failure to revise this figure is very likely to make the service inoperable by 2024. Those volunteering simply will not be able to make up this deficit. The appeal from the service is that funding be set at €30,000. This would ensure that Meals on Wheels Summerhill does not close as two Meals on Wheels services have closed recently due to lack of finances.).
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