Hospice has big interest bill but no inpatients

A HOSPICE THAT opened in west Dublin recently is facing an annual interest bill of €500,000.

The €22 million St Francis Hospice was built mainly with private money, though €10 million was borrowed from a bank and it now has to be paid back.

The facility opened its doors to homecare patients two weeks ago and will provide day care and respite services from July.

Local organiser Fr Eugene Kennedy said the hospice cannot accept residential patients until the Government approves funding to pay the staff.

“The annoying thing is that 100 yards away in Blanchardstown there is a hospital that can take patients, but at the cost of five times what it would cost to put them into the hospice,” he said.

“We’re handing to the Government a free hospital for end-of-life care,” he added.

The seven-acre site, which is beside the Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, was given to the hospice fundraising committee by the Government.

In the past seven years, €5 million has been raised in the Dublin 15 area for the hospice. Another €5 million has come through fundraising by its sister facility, St Francis Hospice in Raheny.

Local TD and former minister for finance Brian Lenihan secured €2 million from the Health Service Executive before he left office to fit it out.

The hospice also borrowed €10 million from a financial institution.

Mr Kennedy said it was vital that local people continued their support. Last year, €340,000 was raised despite the deepening economic recession, and a church-gate collection at Laurel Lodge two weeks ago raised €9,500.

On Saturday, the hospice committee held a draw for a €14,000 car. The draw raised €120,000 towards paying off the hospice interest bill.

St Francis Hospice’s chief executive Ethel McKenna said local people were still being generous.

“Even in these difficult times, we are getting the same level of support,” she said.

Mr Lenihan, who turned up for the draw at the Blanchardstown Centre on Saturday, said people had shown “huge generosity”.

“Some of the fundraising took place before the end of the great boom. It is more difficult, but people are giving what they can.”