Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to address this very serious issue. As the Minister of State is aware, HIQA released a report in December regarding financial irregularities in the Greenmount property at the St. Mary's, Drumcar, campus of St. John of God. The report found that the residential centre for people with disabilities took thousands of euro from the private accounts of residents without their consent to fund services which the centre should have funded. At the time, the St. John of God campus was home to 22 residents with intellectual and physical disabilities. This fraudulent activity included taking €2,300 from a resident for a specialised armchair. Another resident was charged €2,500 for an armchair and a bone density scan and another resident was charged €552 for a body brace. Bone density scans cost, at most, €100. This is absolute exploitation of the most vulnerable in our society.

Last week, we heard recollections from the advocacy group, SAGE, of a patient with dementia being charged €20 per month for activities that she could not participate in. In addition, another resident was charged €100 for laundry identification tags. There was a weekly charge for a doctor, which was totally immoral because the patient had a medical card. This is absolute fraud and it needs to be addressed.

In response last week, four of the eight residential units at the St. John of God facility in Drumcar were deemed not fit for purpose by HIQA. As my party colleague, Deputy Declan Breathnach, has rightly pointed out, Drumcar needs investment and support, not to be closed down. He will be calling on the Minister in the Dáil for support to ensure the facilities at Drumcar are improved to provide modern delivery of care for the many who still need institutionalised care at the facility. We are trying to get away from congregated settings to community settings; we need integration and not segregation. Currently there are over 2,723 people in congregated settings. The Minister of State needs to initiate a full review of the services provided by St. John of God in Drumcar and to meet the needs of the facility head-on by investing in what is required.