Outrage over respite home closure

PARENTS of adults with intellectual disabilities will consider protesting outside the offices of Fianna Fáil deputies in the region, if a respite home closes its doors from Monday, June 14, a Limerick City widow has warned.
Sarah Hurley has condemned the decision of the Limerick Brothers of Charity to close its respite house as a result of recent HSE funding cuts amounting to €1.083m.
Ms Hurley, who lives on her own, has no one to look after her son John, 43, who uses the Bawnmore Centre when she needs a short break.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, she claimed the closure would cause severe hardship as 63 families would be left with a paltry respite service.
In a letter to parents, the Limerick Brothers of Charity explained two respite beds would remain for family members in Foynes, Limerick, where they would be allocated based on highest need.
The letter advised family members to contact their social worker, who would work to ensure that their respite needs are addressed where possible.
“It is clear that we will not be in a position to provide the same level of respite as was previously the case. It is with deep regret that we close the respite house. We will advise the HSE and local representatives that this service is closing and the impact it will have on families in Limerick City and county,” the letter explained.
Ms Hurley said there were previously four respite beds in Bawnmore for families in the region, one of which was kept for emergencies.
She claimed that families in the region would be fortunate to get three or four days break a year from the two beds in Foynes, which are not adequate to meet the requirement for respite.
“I have a daughter with three young babies who isn’t in a position to help me. John is a lovely man but his behaviour can be unpredictable and he can’t be left unsupervised.
“Families don’t really use the respite service unless they really need it. I could get a day off a month if I got sick or I had to go away. It was great to know it was there if you needed it. 
“I am calling on the Brothers of Charity to reverse this closure and, if it isn’t re-opened, we will have to protest outside the offices of Fianna Fáil deputies. Action needs to be taken because parents across the region feel very strongly about this. Parents need to lobby their own deputies to securing the re-opening of the respite house,” she said.
She also highlighted an anomaly preventing her from receiving a weekly carer’s allowance of €230 because she is in receipt of a weekly income of €80 from an insurance investment.
The funding cut was branded a “disgrace” by Limerick East Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, who warned it would result in a reduction in vital services throughout the organisation.
“The reality here is that vulnerable people and their families, often hard pressed and struggling to cope on their own, are being hit hard by this cut.”
“The Brothers of Charity do great work, which is of immense value to many individuals and families. In many cases, the parents involved are elderly and in some cases, widowed. They offer the only chance of respite that they can get. The removal of this service will hugely impact their quality of life” he said.