Disability centre cuts in spotlight

THERE WERE 240 parents over 70 years in the State caring at home for a son or daughter with an intellectual disability, Independent TD Finian McGrath told the Dáil.

Some 147 of those families were in serious difficulty, leading to significant pressure on them and on St Michael’s House, the largest provider of intellectual disability services in Dublin and the third biggest in the State.

He said St Michael’s House provided day services for 1,616 people and residential services for 450.

In recent years, said Mr McGrath, €8.7 million had been cut from the centre’s budget, leading to a drop in staff of 104.

Despite this, however, the centre managed to provide 114 more day-care services and 44 extra residential services, he added. He asked if a further cut in funding was being planned.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny suggested Mr McGrath send him the details relating to St Michael’s.

Mr McGrath asked the Taoiseach if he still believed in the just society. Mr Kenny said he did.

“In order to arrive at a situation where that can apply, the structure of the way we deliver services and how Government and its agencies and the services of the State are run, need to be changed drastically in many cases,” he said.