Minister Naughton highlights the success of local Health and Wellbeing services in West Cork
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 1 August 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton, will today visit West Cork to see how new services are improving quality of life for residents in the county.
She will meet with representatives from Cork County Council, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the community partners involved in the delivery of a range of services that enhance the lives of those in the area.
Minister Naughton will kick off the day of engagements with a visit to Gabriel Lodge who provide residential respite services to people experiencing homelessness following discharge from hospital or residential addiction services. A joint pilot initiative between the HSE and Cork Simon, the Minister will see first hand the successes of the wraparound care being provided in the form of inter-agency care plans.
During a visit to Clonakilty Primary Care Centre, the Minister will hear from participants in various initiatives funded by Healthy Ireland including Healthy Food Made Easy courses, FunFit classes and Staying Fit for the Future workshops.
She will also meet representatives of the West Cork Travellers Centre in Clonakilty.
In Skibbereen, the Minister will visit Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre to learn about the progress of community engagement programmes including the “Blanket Stitch” project and will meet with representatives from the West Cork Islands Health Forum.
Minister Naughton said:
"Communities shape many aspects of our lives, and engagement through creativity, physical activity and education can greatly enhance the health and wellbeing of the population.
"I’m really looking forward to hearing from everyone involved in Healthy Ireland initiatives and to meeting the team who work tirelessly to deliver day after day for the good of the community.
"I’m particularly keen to see the variety of programmes on offer for all interests and to see how wellbeing programmes are woven into daily lives for participants."
The Minister is also scheduled to meet representatives of the local Social Prescribing Services, who will outline their success to date providing a range of non-clinical supports to those in the community.
Minister Naughton said:
"Social prescribing can be a very successful alternative to medication in certain cases, and is an invaluable resource for many people.
"I’m particularly interested to see the suite of supports in this area which help ensure more positive health outcomes for those who use them."
The Minister concluded her visit to Cork with a meeting with West Cork Women Against Violence Project who have been providing support for women in the region for over twenty years.