THE FAMILIES of 63 people with intellectual disabilities have spoken of their worry and dismay following the closure of a respite house in Co Limerick, which was run by the Brothers of Charity.
The facility at Bawnmore on the outskirts of the city was forced to close yesterday after the HSE cut its funding to the Brothers of Charity by more than €1 million.
This service allowed individuals to stay for a couple of nights to give the individual and their family a break.
Sarah Hurley from Limerick city, whose son John is 43, said she was worried about the future following the closure.
“I’m so upset it has come to this,” she said. “They have left us high and dry. What am I to do at my age? If I get sick in the morning I’ll have to land him out to the hospital. I’m heartbroken.”
Margaret Healy from Ballyagran, Co Limerick, whose son Edward is 44, said the cuts were a disgrace.
“Edward has no one if anything ever happened to me; his sister is away and married and has her own family. God forbid I should get sick and there is no back-up. A lot of the parents are elderly. It’s very stressful on all of us.”
Fine Gael TD Michael Noonan said his thoughts were with the 63 families who are affected by the closure.
“I thinks it’s extraordinary that a Government which has a budget of €55 billion always seems to go after the most vulnerable in society when they are looking for minor savings,” he said.
A protest took place outside the offices of Minister of State Peter Power at the weekend, but yesterday’s closure went ahead as planned.