Public meeting to address critical gap in MS Services in Sligo-Leitrim

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland (MS Ireland) is holding a public meeting on September 19 at the Sligo Southern Hotel at 11am to address the urgent need for a Community Worker in Leitrim and Sligo, the only counties in Ireland currently without this vital support.

The meeting will feature testimonies from people living with MS and provide an opportunity to learn more about the proposal to establish a dedicated Community Worker for Sligo and Leitrim.

MS Ireland has renewed calls for the appointment of a full-time Community Worker in these counties following the presentation of its Sligo-Leitrim Business Case to over 40 Oireachtas members at Leinster House earlier this year. 

The presentation included powerful personal accounts from people living with MS, alongside insights from medical and service delivery experts.

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The proposal, unveiled nationally on World MS Day in May, highlights the need for a €72,997.56 investment to provide a dedicated local casework service to the more than 300 people living with MS in Sligo and Leitrim.

MS Ireland currently operates a network of Community Workers across 24 other counties, offering a range of services such as one-to-one casework support from diagnosis onwards, assistance navigating health and social care systems, access to physiotherapy, fatigue management and respite services, as well as advocacy for entitlements and supports.

Without a local Community Worker, people in Sligo and Leitrim must rely on remote or intermittent outreach, leaving many without timely access to these essential services.

According to MS Ireland, a dedicated Community Worker in the Sligo-Leitrim region would provide support and early intervention, reducing reliance on HSE services and delivering better outcomes for people with Multiple Sclerosis.

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The role would also improve coordination between MS Ireland, the HSE, and local services in line with Sláintecare’s vision for integrated care, and offer consistent support for families and carers, helping to ease isolation and stress.

Across Ireland, over 9,000 people are living with the condition. In addition to the Sligo-Leitrim proposal, MS Ireland has also requested €1 million in sustainable funding to expand specialist physiotherapy services nationally, as outlined in their proposal on World MS Day in May.