Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter. I also thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue matter and for letting me know she was not available to take it last week when it was selected and that we could defer it to this evening. This deferral was because the Minister of State was not available to take this matter last week and, unfortunately, no one else would be authoritative on the issue. This creates its own issues at this stage as well. It is a potential problem.

The Minister of State's work with residents and the families of residents has been exceptional. The families have faith in her and believe she wants to do what is right for their loved ones. It is clear now, however, if it was not so before, that the HSE does not have the interests of the families at heart. It has the interests of the organisation at heart and, like all bodies, saving the organisation and protecting itself are what are important. Families and residents are secondary to this. Throughout all this time, the HSE has only been concerned with containing the Brandon issue. The organisation has closed ranks at every opportunity, and this went right up to headquarters within the HSE as well. There is no way this is only a County Donegal issue. I believe the HSE at all levels nationally has questions to answer on this issue as well. Brandon and other residents have been let down by the HSE and the Department of Health.

I know the Minister of State wants to set up an independent scoping exercise of safeguarding and disability services in County Donegal. I also know the Department of Health and the HSE are opposed to this. What is the view of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in this context? Will it support this exercise and, if so, should it have been set up and working by now? I raise these issues now because of what has been happening to families and residents in recent weeks in Ard Greine Court residential service. The HSE in County Donegal is now closing this facility and moving the residents to decongregated settings around the county. It is doing this without consultation with the families or the residents themselves. It is hard to believe that after all that has happened, the HSE will still behave in this way.

Some residents are quite elderly and Ard Greine is their home, but the HSE does not recognise this. Once again, it decides and everybody else has to accept its decisions. The brother of one resident said that, after Brandon, it was stated that everything would be person centred. Nothing has changed, however, and it is the same old, same old of the HSE covering its tracks and talking down to the families. Apparently, the HSE has said each resident will be at the centre of the decision-making process for his or her move, but unfortunately no one involved with Brandon will believe this. This is the crux of the situation. So many years down the road from what was an horrific case, and I think it was recognised by everybody how bad it was, the HSE has attempted to cover up, to try to shut this down, to move on and say there is nothing to see in this regard. This is what has been going on for so long.

I know the Minister of State is fully up to speed regarding this matter, but I am concerned now with whether the Government is up to speed on this issue. I know the Minister of State's interest lies in addressing this issue and that she wants to make it work and happen, but I wonder if the Government is also committed in this regard. This is a real problem. It will only be by having full Government commitment that we will be able to force the HSE to deal with this issue. I say this because the HSE as an organisation will not deal with it. This is sad and shows what was done to residents will continue. There is a real risk it could happen again, which is even worse. It is scarier that this potential could be there. Basically, no one involved with the Brandon case believes the HSE is doing things for the right reasons. Does the Minister of State and the Government believe the HSE is doing things for the right reasons?

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