FAMILIES THAT NEED RESPITE NIL ANGLO IRISH BANK €14 BILLION
Issued : Friday 11 June, 2010
Limerick City Labour Deputy Jan O’Sullivan supported the protest this morning by concerned angry parents and relatives on behalf of all those people availing of services from the Brothers of Charity in Bawnmore.
‘ It is an immoral scandal that an extra €2 billion of taxpayers money was given to Anglo Irish bank two weeks ago on top of a previous injection of €12 billion by this Government, while €1 million to maintain essential frontline services in Bawnmore in Limerick can’t be found.
I am calling on the Government to immediately allocate the €157,000 that is needed to stop the proposed closure of the respite house next Monday. This house cannot be allowed to close and it is a life line for over 63 families who look after and care for those with special needs and intellectual disabilities.
The grant to maintain this vital respite service must be given immediate priority.
Other residential services provided at Bawnmore are also under severe threat because of a shortfall of €1 million in core funding for this year. I have tabled this issue as a top priority as Labour Party spokesperson on Health in priority questions to the Minister in the Dail next week. It is callous in the extreme to target the most vulnerable of our citizens and if this Government has any shred of dignity they will restore the funding to enable these basic essential services to be restored.
Management at Bawnmore have and continue to make every reasonable effort to reduce costs and expenditure were possible and practicable however the situation is now so serious due to funding cutbacks that basic core frontline services will now have to be down graded.
We cannot allow a situation to develop were elderly parents and guardians of those availing of these services are now forced into an impossible scenario of trying to care for their love ones.
This crisis requires political leadership and intervention to reverse the decision by a faceless bureaucrat who made this decision within the HSE with absolutely no regard what so ever for the loving care and professional service provided by the management and staff in Bawnmore.
Once I highlight this deplorable situation next week I hope Minister Harney will order the reversal of these dreadful draconian measures.
