Dáil debates

Tuesday, 8 October 2024

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Disability Services

10:30 pm

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a lot of high-level gobbledegook in that response - SRMTs reporting to chief officers and stuff like that - but the reality is that while the outcome of the Brandon report was supposed to be the decongregation of the facility where Brandon lived, it has not been. I have been dealing with this since about 2016. That it has not been decongregated yet is down to HSE management not doing its job and not doing what it is supposed to do. Many people believe decongregation will resolve the issues in relation to Brandon. I have spoken to some people involved and working in this, and they believe that too. I really do not know and, unfortunately, there is nothing in the response to give me encouragement it will happen.

A service was closed in the north of County Donegal on foot of a High Court report and it was not explained to family members what was happening. The service users who were resident there are severely disabled and I do not know whether they would fully understand but it was not explained to family members. They have been moved out due to a damning HIQA report on the building. It related to the facilities rather than any safeguarding issues, as I understand it. I want to make that clear but it is symbolic of the fact things are not changing. People are not being talked to, as far as I can see. The decongregation has not happened because the HSE is not working at it. That is a problem. Will the Minister of State's report say that when it comes out? This report was supposed to be published well over a year ago and it still has not come out. That is a problem. This is ongoing and we will see repeats of this as well.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.