The Minister for Health and Children must act as a matter of urgency to address the severe staffing shortage at St. Mary's residential care facility at Drumcar, County Louth, and to ensure that the residents at the centre have all the personnel and other resources they need to live with dignity and safety. As I speak, thousands of people, including the families of over 250 people with physical and intellectual disabilities resident at Drumcar, are sick with worry about the welfare and safety of their loved ones. The consultants' report published yesterday highlights the unacceptable conditions which exist for many residents in Drumcar as a direct result of understaffing. Understaffing leads to inadequate supervision, inappropriate mixing of residents with very different abilities and disabilities, including very aggressive individ uals with passive and introverted individuals, the overuse of restraints in some cases, the leaving of some residents locked up and unattended at night, and increased risk of mortality from fire.
We can only imagine the distress to the people concerned, the residents of Drumcar, because they cannot articulate it. However, we are aware of the distress to their relatives and friends. This afternoon I was contacted by two sisters from County Cavan, in my constituency, whose brother is a resident in Drumcar. Their aged parents are infirm and in their twilight years, yet they have again been visited with the deep anxiety which never leaves the parents of people with severe disabilities, but which is alleviated by the care and concern shown in facilities such as that in Drumcar, when they have the proper resources to provide that care.
My brother, Dermot, who has Down's syndrome, spent many years as a resident at St. Mary's and our family has great appreciation and admiration for the religious and secular staff of dedicated carers. I emphasise that in raising this matter I am in no way critical of the staff and management of St. Mary's – quite the opposite. They are a dedicated, hard working, committed and well trained staff, eager to deliver an excellent service to the residents. However, they are prevented from exercising their skills to the full because staff shortages often mean they can only carry out essential duties.
The joint report of 1066 Consultancy and Healthcare Consultancy identifies clearly that the problem in Drumcar is caused by inadequate levels of staffing. Fr. Fintan Brennan-Whitmore of St. Mary's has accepted the findings of the report. I ask the Minister if he in turn accepts the recommendations of the report and the crying need for additional staff, and if he will act on them. When will the resources be provided to allow St. Mary's to engage the 30 additional staff for night duty necessary to deal with the serious and dangerous situation at night time? When will the 64 extra staff required for St. Mary's be provided to ensure a safe environment during the day?
I must point out that the Department of Health and Children approved the engagement of the independent consultants who produced the report. These consultants have an international reputation and were engaged by the Minister for Health and Children last year to advise on the nursing crisis in the accident and emergency services.
I am informed that for the past two years the St. John of God order has contracted the whole time equivalent of 23 nursing staff over and above their approved compliment in an effort to maintain the service, even at present levels. The commitment of the Order of St. John of God, the hospital order, is undoubted. It is my hope and that of the thousands of people I have referred to that the Minister will advise this House that he has, as Fr. Brennan Whitmore has, accepted the recommendations of this report, which the Minister sought. I hope the Minister will confirm that he will provide the necessary resources to see these recommendations implemented with the urgency that is clearly required.