THOUSANDS OF people with intellectual disabilities and their families are expected to march in Dublin, Galway and Castlebar today in protest over cuts to disability services around the State.
Ahead of the demonstrations, the Brothers of Charity in Galway pledged to resist all cuts sought by HSE West.
The charity’s board said it would fight against existing cuts, while warning “any further cuts” would have an adverse impact on frontline services and “seriously compromise health, safety and the wellbeing” of service users and staff, with “potentially disastrous consequences”.
The board’s statement followed an emergency meeting on Monday night to discuss a further €2 million in cuts sought by HSE West. Parents who intend to march in Galway today were informed of the development at a meeting in Renmore last night.
The charity, which provides services for 1,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the region, has already instituted measures to cope with a €2.5 million budgetary shortfall this year, on top of a €1.8 million reduction last year.
Its acting director Anne Geraghty confirmed yesterday that the HSE West informed her last week that it had a €15.5 million projected deficit this year, and was seeking to make savings of €4 million normally given to voluntary agencies. HSE West was unable to comment on the figures.
The Brothers of Charity is the largest provider of disability services in the Galway area, but it is expected that other voluntary groups involved with disability will also be informed of cuts.
Respite care services could be cancelled, community homes closed and staffing levels affected, according to the organisation.
The Brothers of Charity board said the “unexpected latest cut has been brought about by the failure of HSE Galway to operate within its own budget, while the Brothers of Charity Services Galway remain within its budget”.
The board has resolved that it will “not accept this or any further cuts. To do so would not only adversely impact frontline services but seriously compromise health, safety and the wellbeing of people who use the services and staff, with potential disastrous consequences,” it said.
HSE West said at the weekend that it was “facing severe financial pressure in 2010”, and “efficiencies need to be achieved across the entire range of services provided” to enable it to stay within budget.
“Grants to voluntary agencies are a substantial part of the overall expenditure in the west, and the agencies we work with have been advised they will need to work with us to overcome the budgetary pressures,” it said.
“Substantial increased funding was channelled into voluntary agencies during the good years of the past decade. Allocations have been reduced this year and the cost-containment measures will have to be shared among all of our services,” it said.
Today’s Dáil protest, organised by Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with an intellectual disability, begins at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin City Centre at noon.