Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

There was some very bad news in Limerick earlier today when the management of Bawnmore, which is a facility for persons with mental handicap, called the staff together and told them they would have to let 30 go before Christmas, that another 30 jobs were on the line between January and March and that services would have to be discontinued for 100 persons who were getting services.

Bawnmore looks after severely mentally handicapped and mildly mentally handicapped adults. Some of its work is for residential patients and others are helped on a day care basis. When the Minister, Deputy Harney, was allocating funds to the HSE for 2009, sufficient money was not allocated to the Brothers of Charity, who run Bawnmore. They were allocated €27 million but need another €1.5 million to keep services going. Despite the fact this was raised in the House on a number of occasions, unfortunately, the Minister cannot see her way to assist them further.

It is a common theme with the cuts emanating from the Department of Health and Children that the most vulnerable are identified for the cuts. It is as if somebody picked out the groups that did not have strong trade union or organisational backing. We have seen the cutbacks that were originally proposed to take medical cards from persons over 70 and those which deprive 12 year old girls of lifesaving vaccines. Now, we see 100 persons with mental handicap being deprived of services because their carers will no longer be paid and will be made redundant. If one takes 60 carers out of an institution like Bawnmore, there is a serious problem.

I appeal to the Minister to reconsider the issue and to provide special funding so that mentally handicapped persons are not sent back to the care of their families, and that they can continue to avail of the excellent care they have received and are receiving in the Bawnmore centre in Limerick.

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