Support Centre for Irish Defence Forces veterans opens in Dublin

Today the Defence Forces and ONE launched the first of four new Veteran Support Centres for ex-military personnel. The Centre, located at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines Dublin, provides veterans with advice, information and an opportunity to bond with fellow veterans, in an effort to provide ex-members of the Defence Forces with relief and alleviate social stresses.

Brig-General Tony Cudmore, the General Officer Commanding 2 Brigade, officially opened the Veteran Support Centre alongside Officer Commanding 7 Inf Bn Lt-Col Dave McNamara, ONE Chairperson Colm Campbell and Kieran Flynn, the chairperson of the Cathal Brugha Branch. When the additional four centres are open, the charity will operate 15 Veteran Support Centres throughout Ireland, where members have access to a designated support team and confidential male and female counsellors, trained to listen and provide support across a wide spectrum of concerns, including addiction, homelessness, mental health problems and trauma.

In addition to this, the Defence Forces and ONE will launch another Veteran Support Centre at McKee Barracks, Dublin on Friday, November 12, also dedicated to the ongoing support of veterans of the Defence Forces. The centre will be officially opened at 2:30 pm by Brig-General Tony Cudmore and Colm Campbell, along with Michael Kinahan the Chairperson of the Sergeant Pat Mulcahy DSM Branch (McKee Barracks).

ONE has 37 branches and 15 Veterans Support Centres around Ireland, along with four hostels for homeless veterans, located in Letterkenny, Cobh, Dublin and Athlone. The hostels offer 54 beds per night and 20,000 beds annually to veterans who would otherwise be homeless. To date, 1,000 veterans have been supported by ONE and 90% of people go on to access permanent housing.

Commenting on the unveiling of the ONE Veterans Support Centre in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, Chairperson of ONE Colm Campbell said: “ONE Veteran Support Centres, which now includes Cathal Brugha Bks, can be described as a cross between a Mens’ / Womens’ Shed and an Advice Centre. ONE opened its first two centres in 2012 in Dundalk and Limerick and following a comprehensive case in December 2017, the Minister for Defence agreed to help ONE expand this. Eleven of the centres are in military installations, with four outside barracks in Athy, Cavan, Cobh, and Limerick. ONE wishes to thank the Minister for Defence, Department of Defence, and the Defence Forces for bringing this project to fruition.”

Brig-General Tony Cudmore also commented: “Within 2 Brigade and working with the Department of Defence, we are delighted to partner with ONE in providing support services for veterans of the Defence Forces. This historic building in Cathal Brugha Barracks is another important part of the support structures that we are providing to support our veterans.”

#DefenceForces #Support #Charity #Veteran #Veterans #VeteransAffairs