‘Totally unsuitable’ care home continues to operate

A CARE home for troubled children recommended for closure five years ago continues to operate despite being branded “totally unsuitable” and despite an instruction to the HSE to rehouse the youngsters immediately.

The most recent inspection of the home revealed the condition of the building had worsened, the roof was leaking and one room on the first floor was saturated from rain coming through. The room beneath, a cold room used as a recreation room, was heated by electrical heaters.

Patrick Bergin, an inspector with the social services inspectorate arm of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), said the HSE had also failed to obtain written confirmation that all statutory requirements relating to fire safety and building control had been complied with. This was despite being instructed to do so by HIQA in April 2008.