Government needs to invest in community services rather than residential care

We wish to express our utter disgust at a health service which have failed the most vulnerable in our society.

Irish carers feel heartache and admiration for the courage of the residents and families of Áras Attracta.

People with disabilities are discriminated against in Ireland.

These institutional settings are no longer adequate forms of ‘care’.

Reform must begin.

It is completely unacceptable for the HSE to lead this investigation, when it is their own failures under scrutiny here.

How can the carers of Ireland be expected to entrust our loved ones to such a clearly dysfunctional system?

We call on the Government to provide these people with a professional independent inquiry outside the HSE payroll.

We call for supervisory and management reform to weed out the undesirables and attract the right people whose vocation it is, to advocate for others.

Staff should be trained in advocacy, disability rights and assisted decision making.

Put resources into our home supports instead of filling beds in group homes miles from where we live.

Adapt the American ABLE Act to Ireland to decrease the need for such institutions and help us build a better future.

We call on the government to do the right thing.

A Dempsey, A Clohessy & L Beatty,

Kildare Carers Association,

Carbury Branch,

Co Kildare.