Shock and concern over ‘de-congregation’ of Ard Greine

Concern has been expressed at the planned closure of the Ard Greine homes in Stranorlar.

The HSE-run facility provides residential facilities for around 30 adults with mild-to-severe intellectual disabilities.

Art Greine, the former Sean O’Hare Unit, was established in 2008 and includes seven individual housing units.

Some family members attended a meeting in Jackson’s Hotel in Ballybofey on Tuesday last having been invited to an ‘information sharing event’ as regards ‘future accommodation plans for Ard Greine’.

“As you may be aware Ard Griene Court will be going through a process of de-congregation over the next three years,” a letter to families read.

The move is a part of a new plan being implemented by the HSE, Time to move on from Congregated Settings. The plan sets out that those moving from congregated settings

should be provided with dispersed housing in the community, where they may: choose to live on their own; share with others who do not have a disability; share their home with other people with a disability (to a maximum of four people with a disability); or opt for long‐term placement with a family.

Donegal Aontu representative Mary T Sweeney has asked the HSE to invite back parents and guardians of the residents and ‘to allow them adequate right to defend retaining Ard Greine for it’s rightful residents.’

“The families were informed the HSE will find accommodation which may be purchased, built or rented from around the county for each resident, but not necessarily in their familiar pods,” Ms Sweeney said.

“Most importantly there is no clarity on the level of care that will be provided for these vulnerable people.

“The families present at the HSE meeting had no idea of this shock disclosure that was to hit them. No efforts at finding compromise to secure residency at Ard Greine was acceptable or allowed to be discussed.”

Ms Sweeney outlined the fear that some of the more vulnerable residents will be ‘traumatised by such a proposed upheaval’.

She said: “Many of those present at the meeting were themselves elderly parents or guardians of the Ard Griene residents and they expressed real moving concerns, as to where their children, who are now adults, will be moved. 

“What is the point in moving people who are used to residing there as three and four to a house in a safe and secure community to a new and unknown environment, where they will be  living in individual flats or apartments or houses where they will not have the same safety or support backup?”

Ms Sweeney has also asked for clarity on the plans for the Ard Greine homes once they are vacated.

She said: “Who will deserve their homes more that the Ard Griene residents already living there?”

Following the Brandon Report, Ard Gréine Court was subjected to serious investigation by HIQA and additional ‘layers’ of management were put in place, with new clinical nurse managers for each house.

The Brandon Reportm into historical abuse at the facility, found that a resident given the pseudonym Brandon, sexually assaulted at least 18 residents at the facility over a period of almost two decades.

A total of 108 incidents of serious assault were uncovered by the initial report.