Call to remove psychiatric institutions from dispute

CALLS have come for psychiatric institutions to be removed from the ongoing nurses industrial dispute.

Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with intellectual disabilities said nurses should take into account the special circumstances of those in institutional care.

Its chairwoman, Finula Garrahy, said it supported the nurses’ cause but was unhappy that psychiatric institutions were among the first places to be hit by the work stoppages.

“For those people it is their home. We would ask when considering any further work stoppages they exempt services for people with intellectual disabilities.

“They have no place on the front line of an industrial dispute,” she said.

Ms Garrahy was speaking at the annual general meeting of Inclusion Ireland last night. At it representatives from the main political parties debated topics across the spectrum of mental health and disability. During the discussion Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin said he did not support the Department of Health’s policy on back dating charges for people in residential care to July 2005.

“I would be against the retrospective charges for anybody in long stay care,” he said.

Deputy Kathleen Lynch revealed the Labour Party had signed off on its election manifesto this week and it was looking at providing a travel fund for people with disabilities and allow recipients to select their own mode of transport. Both Fine Gael’s David Stanton and the Green Party’s Dan Boyle said if elected their parties would introduce a cost of disability allowance. Chairing the debate Alan Crosbie of Thomas Crosbie Holdings called on all government parties to listen to those working on behalf of people with disabilities.

“Whoever is in government after the election they should listen to parents and listen to advocates before they listen to any other interested party,” Mr Crosbie said.