Sir, – The latest revelations from Hiqa concerning yet another institution for persons with disabilities ("Risk of 'all forms of abuse' at Cheeverstown, Hiqa says,"July 1st) can hardly come as a surprise.
Institutions, even so-called “well run” institutions, are still institutions. Even the very best of regulation and the most rigorous of policing of institutions does not alter their nature – unnatural environments in which are congregated persons for no other reason than that they share a certain impairment or condition.
It seems the whole world knows this. The title of a recent 2014 report from Human Rights Watch on the institutionalisation of persons with intellectual disabilities in India says it all: “Treated Worse than Animals”. And we know it.
The Government's laudable 2011 report Ending Congregated Settings needs to be robustly implemented. We can't go on setting policy without being serious about implementation.
As we approach the 100th anniversary of 1916 it bears emphasising that our founders wanted a complete break from the Poor Law.
So long as we treat persons with intellectual disabilities as objects to be managed rather than as citizens, we fall very far short of those ideals. Better regulation and better policing of institutions is just a way of better managing persons with disabilities.
It’s time to get serious about ending congregated settings. – Yours, etc, Prof GERARD QUINN Director, Centre for Disability Law, School of Law, NUI Galway.
Sir, – The revelations by Hiqa of the crisis in some residential intellectual disability facilities are shocking.
They highlight situations where residents are given no meaningful activities, no stimulation, no access to day services, and who are living in unsafe conditions, with privacy and dignity issues and with staff shortages.
These are just some of the issues. Whatever the excuses there are some very basic human rights being breached with serious questions to be answered about the level of care provided.
There was always going to be issues following the introduction of inspections in late 2013 but did we really expect to see what has been revealed so far?
As a civilised society appropriate action must be taken immediately to meet standards and provide a safe and loving level of care for our most vulnerable citizens. – Yours, etc EAMONN TIERNEY Ard Na Greine, Dublin 13.