"Scandalous" idea to turn HSE care facility into offices

Sinn Fein Leitrim TD Martin Kenny is dumbfounded that the HSE intend to convert residential HIQA approved buildings at Cloonamahon, Sligo for office use instead of their intended purpose as a care facility.

Deputy Kenny raised the issue with Minister for State with responsibility for disability, Ann Rabbitte last week in Dail Eireann asking her to intervene.
The SF Justice Spokesperson reminded Deputy Rabbitte of her visit with parents seeking respite care in Carrick-on-Shannon earlier this year. Parents of children with disabilities are seeking a respite facility in South Leitrim. The closest respite facility is in Tullaghan, which families say is too far away.

He informed that little progress has been made on building a new centre on a site in Carrick-on-Shannon. He added that there has also been no progress on establishing alternative respite services despite earlier commitments being provided this year.
He said it had been agreed that the Cloonamahon site, close to Collooney, Co Sligo was available and had two purpose-built bungalows which Deputy Kenny said were only built 20 years ago and are fully kitted out.
He informed Deputy Rabbitte that they are currently used as residential units and six residents are in those units. Work is currently underway to move those residents out into what is called a decongregated setting in the community.
“When we talked about what we were going to build, which would be HIQA-approved, figures being talked about were heading close to €1 million and yet these buildings are there, are being used and are HIQA-approved. On the day, the remark was made that all they needed was a lick of paint.”

Deputy Kenny said the buildings have been painted and that the HSE “evidently has a plan to turn these buildings into offices. The country is coming down with offices but we do not have a place to provide services for children and young people with disabilities.”
He called the decision a “scandal” and asked that everything is done to ensure they are used for respite services for the young people concerned.
“These buildings are there and they should be used. Apart from the problems these parents and families have, which is a pressing crisis we need to resolve, a secondary scandal would be if these two buildings were turned into office space. The Minister of State, or any other Minister, could not stand over allowing the people who have responsibility, as employees of the HSE, to provide services for people with disabilities, to do this. They need to block the use of these units as office space. It is scandalous that they would even think of doing such a thing.”

Deputy Rabbitte agreed with Martin Kenny and said she spoke to the HSE head of disabilities for the area who said, “the building will not be operationalised to support many of the families because people with higher-sized wheelchairs might not be able to access the building.”
Deputy Rabbitte stated, “I take that on board because she is the lead and everything else. However, it will be able to support many more people, as it should. If Tullaghan is the place where larger-sized wheelchairs have to go, they will be prioritised to go there but, in the interim, we should use one of those bungalows that would support families and be the only met need in south Leitrim.”

She commented, “Common sense and a dose of reality needs to come in. We have a building that can provide support while we are constructing a new purpose-built, respite and residential facility in Carrick-on-Shannon.” She said her department will work with HIQA to approve operation on the site of one of the bungalows.
Deputy Kenny said he was not convinced by the wheelchair excuse, he noted “This is a modern, new building. It has hoists in place, rails in the ceilings and everything is there. It is HIQA approved, as it stands, and yet there is this reluctance to use it.” The irate TD challenged that the house being used in Carrick was a small ordinary bungalow.
Funding has been awarded to allow the Tullaghan facility to open seven days a week and the deputy is “waiting for HIQA to come back with a derogation for the site at Cloonamahon to be accessed and used in conjunction, while de-congregation is taking place at pace.”