Limerick election candidates to be briefed on €2.9m respite centre for disabled children lying idle
General election candidates will be briefed on a major health scandal in Limerick tomorrow involving a €2.9m respite centre for disabled children which has lain idle since being completed 15 months ago because the HSE does not have the money to support its running costs.
As the state-of-the-art St Gabriel's Children's Respite House, located in Mungret on the outskirts of the city, remains closed children with significant physical disabilities in need of overnight respite care must be driven to Dublin to avail of an overnight break which parents say is untenable and unfair.
The St Gabriels day care centre located in Dooradoyle, two miles away, caters for over 80 children from the Mid-West who have complex physical disabilities.
The respite house, which was built on time and within budget, comprises six beds to care for children who are on oxygen, suction and are PEG fed. The opening of the centre would add over 2,000 new bed nights to the Mid-West for children's residential respite.
The costs of the new house came from voluntary fundraising and the JP McManus Benevolent Fund.
CEO of St Gabriel's Máire O'Leary said: "The respite house cannot open and will not open until a budget is provided. There was €5m announced from the budget 2020 for additional respite funds, but none of that money is coming our way.
"We are so proud to have achieved what we have with a state-of-the-art facility in place to provide much-needed respite care, for undoubtedly the most vulnerable young people in our region.
"We did this after lots of consultations with parents who said it was the number one need they have today. And also the HSE locally have left us in no doubt as to the need for this centre."
Lorraine Tierney, whose 13-year-old son Dylan attends St Gabriels day centre, said the development of the new house has been an incredible achievement.
"It speaks volumes as to the generosity and spirit of the people of this region and all us parents are so excited about it. Its not just a house so that parents and carers can get some respite but these children don't have the same social outlets as other children and the respite house can be their 'play date', their special place to get away. It is so frustrating.
"Day by day our faith in the system is being eroded. Our hope is being frustrated."
General election candidates have been invited to meet parents and St Gabriel's staff at the idle centre tomorrow to be briefed on the situation.
