Charity removed from autism units over care failures

The country’s oldest autism charity has admitted to difficulties getting services up to standard after its three residential facilities were taken out of its control by the HSE.

The takeovers, carried out in May and June, followed inspections by health standards authority HIQA which revealed serious failures in care for 48 adults living at facilities run by the Irish Society for Autism in counties Meath and Wexford.

Dunfirth Farm in Meath, the largest of the three with 34 residents, was inspected five times last year and early this year “following notification of significant incidents of concern leading to injuries to residents”.