One of the largest disability-service providers in the State has rejected criticisms in an independent report conducted into the death of Peter McKenna (60).
St Michael's House was found in the report to be one of three bodies which must bear responsibility for what happened to the disabled man who died 13 days after he was transferred by it to the Leas Cross nursing home in Swords in October 2000.
The other bodies responsible, the report said, were Leas Cross and the Northern Area Health Board.
St Michael's House, however, claims the report, compiled by the former head of the blood bank Martin Hynes, is "flawed".
In a statement it said "it acted at all times in the best interests of Mr McKenna", and said the proposal to transfer him to Leas Cross was made in good faith. It initiated the transfer after having cared for Mr McKenna for 23 years because it could no longer look after him. He had Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. As Mr McKenna was a ward of court, the ultimate decision on his transfer was made by the High Court, it added.
The Hynes report criticised the manner of Mr McKenna's handover to Leas Cross and the failure by St Michael's House to provide clinical back-up for him after he was moved.
St Michael's House chief executive Paul Ledwidge claimed Mr Hynes only met him for an hour before compiling his report, and that he failed to interview the staff involved in Mr McKenna's care while at St Michael's House.
As a result, he said, St Michael's House had to make a submission of almost 300 pages to Mr Hynes which was then only included as an addendum to the report, which he saw as unfair.
The report also suggested the main criterion used by St Michael's House in recommending Leas Cross was its registration with the Northern Area Health Board. This was not the case, St Michael's House said. It used several criteria in recommending Leas Cross, including one year's experience of another client with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease who had been well cared for there.
Meanwhile, St Michael's House has said it will co-operate fully with the HSE in any fair and transparent process to assist the McKenna family in resolving outstanding concerns. Leas Cross owner John Aherne is abroad, and said he could not comment on the report until he had read it.