‘Cloak of secrecy’ around abuse of intellectually disabled

A Government backbencher has warned there is a “cloak of secrecy” around the wide-scale abuse of people with severe intellectual disabilities in hundreds of HSE-run care homes across the country.

Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd made the claim after the Irish Examiner revealed 21 HSE workers have been sacked or suspended for alleged sexual, physical, and financial abuse of residents at care facilities for adults with severe intellectual disabilities since January 2014.

Details published on Saturday show that, over the past 18 months, HSE management has been aware of serious incidents at seven such facilities.

However, in the wake of the Áras Attracta revelations late last year, HSE director general Tony O’Brien and Health Minister Leo Varadkar insisted the case was the worst they have seen and unlikely to be repeated on the same scale elsewhere.

Mr O’Dowd said it is his belief that there is a “cloak of secrecy” over the scale of abuse at care homes across the country.

He said Freedom of Information Act responses on the issues — including that received by this newspaper, which was delayed by four months — are regularly redacted or delayed by officials and despite assurances that action is being taken, not enough attention is being paid to a crisis happening “before our eyes”.

“If it was children or babies involved there would be uproar,” the Louth TD said. “But it’s not, it’s people with dementia or who can’t speak for themselves.

“This is a huge human rights issue, people are being abused and there is a complete lack of transparency, it’s all wrapped up in a cloak of secrecy.

“The Health Information Quality Authority or the Ombudsman Peter Tyndall need to be given more powers to properly investigate this. I have real worries Áras Attracta is being repeated elsewhere.”

The comments came as Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams on Friday called for an “independent, root-and-branch inquiry” into the scandal.

Speaking after two Hiqa reports uncovered abuse at unrelated facilities for people with intellectual disabilities and six people implicated in the Aras Attracta scandal attended an initial court hearing, Mr O’Dowd said there are clear concerns abuse is widespread.