Ms Miriam Moffitt:

In reserves, we have €4.2 million. I have run a business for years. It is good business practice to keep reserves of two to three months. The figure provided by the HSE relates to our reserves. A huge amount of that money has been spent on upgrades ordered by HIQA. The figure which the Chairman has given is no longer relevant in that it has reduced significantly because we have been paying wages out of our reserves. We will not be able to do that for much longer. Camphill is operating on heritage funding. For people like my daughter, whose name is Karen, funding has not been increased. There are people who have been in Camphill for the past 20 to 30 years. People with intellectual disabilities often progress into dementia and Alzheimer's much earlier than mainstream people such that we have people whose needs have increased but in respect of whom funding, because they have been in the facility long-term, is very low. Our people with the highest needs who are longest in the facility are costing a fortune in terms of delivery of care. We are not getting anywhere near the amount of funding required in this regard. At this point in time, we have to consider whether we can offer a safe service and a safe environment for these people. The answer is that we are nearing the end of our capability in that regard.

In regard to whether the sword of Damocles is hanging over us, it is dangling by a very fragile thread. We were able to keep the show on the road but our reserves have been depleted owing to our having to fund wages, upgrade services and meet the increased needs of our residents from those reserves.

People with Down's syndrome begin to suffer from dementia as they head into their 50s, which is 20 years earlier than other people. Camphill has been in Ireland approximately 30 years. We have a serious cohort of people who are heading in that direction. It cannot go on.