UP TO 7,000 intellectually disabled adults are at risk of abuse because there are no independent inspections of the care homes they live in, disability groups warned yesterday.

THE plight of Ireland’s disabled people, which can only be described as a dark stain on the conscience of society, is graphically illustrated by today’s revelation on the lack of inspection at residential centres.

Ireland’s health boards reportedly paid out €85m last year to keep just 600 children in residential care.

TODAY’S report on the staggering cost of keeping a single child in residential care under “special arrangements” is particularly disturbing because many State residential care centres, built at enormous expense, are half-empty.

HEALTH boards paid out €85 million last year to keep just 600 children in residential care, new figures have revealed.

STAFF at a residential centre are caring for young people with drink and drugs problems and teenage asylum seekers in a former garda station meant for use only as a low-support hostel for homeless children.

NO inspections have been carried out at three of the State’s detention centres for children since 1999, despite a legal requirement they should be inspected on an annual basis.

A HEALTH board which spent €3,000 conducting interviews in Canada for childcare staff has been accused of wasting taxpayer's money and ignoring suitably qualified Irish staff.

THE country’s only secure facility for troubled teenagers has been severely criticised by State inspectors.