Mum's open letter to Minister on closure of residential care centres

After reeling from recent comments by Disability Minister Finian McGrath suggesting parents were ’dumping’ their children in institutions, Ina O’Dwyer says his crusade to close residential centres caring for people with profound disability is not in their interests.

Minister McGrath, I write this letter in response to the recent article in the Irish Times titled: ‘Finian McGrath pledges to ratify convention on people with disabilities’, with the sub-headline: “‘Dumping’ of relatives in institutions a key matter of concern in Government strategy.” (July 14, 2017)

The article has left me reeling in shock, disbelief, and horror.