Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

It relates to the appalling treatment of people with disabilities, service users and staff in south Tipperary. On 28 February last, with ten minutes notice, the Health Service Executive announced the closure of both residential and day services for persons with acquired brain injury. This was done without any consultation with the service users, stakeholders or staff.

The transitional living unit, called Slí Eile, was developed by committed staff, who are continually open to change and have changed over the years. They built the service over the last 14 years since it was established in October 1999. It is acknowledged to be a quality service for people with acquired brain injury. The unit is the only HSE-run unit for rehabilitation services for people with acquired brain injury in the south east. It provides short to medium term residential rehabilitation placements in the community for three people at any one time. The unit is based in Clonmel and aims to be a stepping stone to greater independence for people with acquired brain injury who may possess basic self-care skills but who are having difficulty managing their lives due to cognitive and sometimes behavioural difficulties. The unit's residential service provides a 24 hour support service on the days of operation from Monday to Friday.

Alongside the residential service, the transitional living unit provides a day service from Mondays to Thursdays for people with acquired brain injury. There are approximately 22 service users. The focus of the day service is on social interaction, skills development, peer support, personal development and computer, literary, communication and leisure skills. The unit's residential and day service is staffed by a manager and nine social care workers.

This announcement was made at ten minutes notice and without any consultation with staff on Thursday, 28 February, when the southern senior management of the HSE was on its way to a forum meeting in Cork to announce this decision. The management obviously instructed local management to indicate the closure to staff effectively at the drop of a hat. There was no consultation and no information was given to service users or clients. One can imagine the trauma and distress of service users when this information became available, not directly from the HSE but on the basis of that announcement. The staff have built up this unit over the last 14 years and it is acknowledged to be excellent. The staff have always been open to change and built the unit on that basis. Even at this late stage the staff are open to change in the provision of these services. The decision makes little or no financial sense, as there are few financial savings involved, but it ensures maximum disruption and upheaval for service users.

I ask the Minister to investigate the absolutely appalling manner of the announcement and the conduct of the HSE in making it. I also call on her to reverse the decision. This service is absolutely necessary. It caters for the entire south-eastern area both on a day and residential basis. There are rumours, because no consultation has taken place, that there will be some involvement by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, but that organisation provides no rehabilitation service. The closure of the service in Clonmel will deprive service users in the south east of a rehabilitation service.

I cannot stress strongly enough how traumatised and distraught the service users are as a result of this. The staff are utterly dismayed with the dismantling of a quality service that has been built up over 14 years and the disrespectful manner in which the life-changing news was conveyed at ten minutes notice. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to tell the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, about this and to ask that an investigation take place into the manner of this announcement and the conduct of the HSE in this regard. I urge the Minister of State to reverse the decision and ensure that these services are available for persons in the south east with acquired brain injury.

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