Care centre ‘violating human rights’ hit by cuts

A CARE centre for the intellectually disabled where chronic under-funding led to human rights violations has suffered even more cutbacks since its shortcomings were highlighted.

In developments described as “disappointing” and “disturbing,” the John Paul Centre run by the Brothers of Charity in Galway city has had to let go staff, close two community homes and suspend some waiting lists as it struggles to survive.

A Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) investigation last March found the centre, which provides services for 77 people, was under-funded, overcrowded, inadequately staffed and unable to provide sufficient essential therapies — in particular speech and language therapy.

Commissioners concluded the situation breached the rights of the vulnerable clients and residents to health, education and equality, and called for the main funding bodies — the HSE, Departments of Health and Education — to pay for improvements.

TDs at the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children heard yesterday, however, that the problems had been compounded since then as €2.5 million was cut from the centre’s budget with further cuts to come.

The IHRC told the committee that respite services and services for day clients were now under threat, while the Department of Health had also indicated it intended withdrawing the already limited funding for educational services and the HSE had not given sanction for a permanent replacement for the centre’s psychiatrist who retired during the year.

“Far from implementing the recommended increases in such services, it is proposed to cut same,” said Professor William Binchy, one of the commissioners who carried out the investigation.

Professor Binchy told the committee that the HSE had only got around to responding to the recommendations last November — eight months after the IHRC report.

It said it was working on a value for money and policy review and a fresh costing exercise, but gave no indication when it would be completed.

The committee, holding its last meeting before the election, said it would write to the departments and HSE to urge them to implement the recommendations.

Fine Gael Deputy Charlie Flanagan said the situation was unacceptable. “It’s indicative of the kind of dysfunction we have in the health services.”

The IHRC took on the investigation after being approached by parents of people using the centre. They said they were now “extremely concerned about being able to keep even the minimum of services available in the centre”.