Families could be left without addiction support services amid fears Neart le Chéile, an organisation that helps people in addiction as well as their relatives, could close.
A number of employees are being made redundant in the coming weeks, sparking concerns about the future of the facility in Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Siptu is in talks with management to secure redundancy packages.
Neart le Chéile, which translates as Strength Together, has been operating in Neilstown for more than 20 years.
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It provides two main services: Cumas, which has supported children and other family members affected by the addiction of a loved one, and Cairdeas, which has worked directly with people who had a history of drug use.
It is understood the centre will in future focus solely on providing support for children aged four to 12.
Some staff members said the facility has been closed in effect for several weeks after four key workers were put on “gardening leave” before being made redundant.
The HSE, which funds Neart le Chéile, said the service was still operational, but was “reconfiguring some elements at present”.
An HSE spokesman said the reconfiguration was “temporary” and, once implemented, would “strengthen the delivery of crucial supports and interventions to young people and vulnerable families within the community of Clondalkin and Neilstown”.
In late 2023, there were fears the service would close down, but a new board was put in place and the centre remained open pending a review of its services.
Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward was among those who temporarily joined the new board in an effort to get operations back on track. He was in situ for around a year, before leaving late last year due to other commitments.
Mr Ward said he was “shocked” to learn about the redundancies.
“When I left [the board], my understanding was that everything was on a sound footing, everything was moving in the right direction,” the Dublin Mid-West TD said.
He is concerned the centre may close permanently, saying this would be “a huge loss to a disadvantaged community”.
“There’s no timeline in place of when it’s going to reopen for the public again,” Mr Ward said,
Local resident Anto Collins, whose family previously engaged with Neart le Chéile, said many people in the community were “suffering” from the impact of addiction.
He said it was “very hard” for people to build up trust with service providers, but Neart le Chéile was embedded in the community for 25 years and did “a wonderful job with people around the area”.
Mr Collins said older service users now had “nowhere to go because these families have put their trust in these people that work in that centre; it has to stay open”.
Gino Kenny, former People Before Profit TD, became a board member in late 2023.
Mr Kenny, who is still on the board, said an independent review was conducted to examine how the service could be restructured.
He said it was “very unfortunate” that some staff members were losing their jobs, noting they had done “amazing work over the last two decades”.
However, he said the centre needed to “pivot towards a different age group and service” or else risk permanent closure.
Mr Kenny said the board was “very conscious” that some people who had used the service for many years would no longer be able to do so.
When the new service for four- to 12-year-olds was up and running, he said it would be “hugely beneficial for the community”.
Neart le Chéile is funded by the HSE and the Clondalkin Drugs & Alcohol Task Force. The centre received €505,311 in funding in 2023, €451,164 last year and €473,748 in 2025.
