Parents demonstrate over disabled care centre cuts

Parents of disabled children attending the St Vincent’s Centre in Dublin are demonstrating outside the Dail this afternoon.

They are angry about operational changes which have seen cuts in nursing staff.

Parents said the move to an education-based system have left the children, who are in need of constant attention, without adequate healthcare.

Noreen Noone, whose daughter Orla is attending the centre, said the changes are red-tape gone mad.

"The sad part of all of this is that we have had a model to date that was absolutely acceptable to all. It was ideal for the children.

"That was where their health care needs were met, they were classed as the primary needs, then we had education on a sessional basis. We are now seeing a turnaround where education is becoming the primary basis."