Care homes idle over lack of staff

THREE family homes for patients wanting to leave institutional care have been left lying empty for seven years by health chiefs.

It has emerged patients from St Peter’s Hospital, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, are unable to move into the houses because the Health Service Executive (HSE) cannot afford to staff the homes.

The cost to staff the three homes, bought as part of a plan to house 70 people from an institute for adults with special needs is €1.5 million, nearly three times more than health chiefs paid for the houses in 2001.