Sligo nuns quit running disability centre over funding row

A long-simmering row over government cutbacks in health service funding has resulted in order of nuns withdrawing from running Cregg House, a centre for intellectually disabled people in Sligo.

The future of Cregg House in Ballincar is now uncertain after the Wisdom Order of Sisters that had run it quit, claiming that the Heath Service Executive is underfunding the centre by €1.3m.

The Sisters had served the intellectually disabled people for almost 60 years but for some years have had to use their own money to bridge the gap between costs and their HSE grant.

Earlier this year they signalled this could not continue and received support from 2,000 people who attended a public demonstration.

But tortuous negotiations with the HSE finally broke down and the Daughters of Wisdom who told staff they were quitting and contacted the estimated 200 families affected. 

In a statement, Provincial leader Sr Jean Quinn said it is, “with extreme regret that we must announce our decision to end our role as providers of Wisdom Services.  We have been in discussions with the local HSE on this issue for several months as we simply could not stand over the continuing underfunding of the services.”

“We have now decided that the funding issues we have raised will not be resolved and we feel it is best for all concerned, especially for those people who use our services, that we allow the HSE the necessary space and time to make alternative arrangements for the provision of this service.”

Sr Quinn said the order’s decision was, “most difficult,” and it fully understood the impact it could have on users of the services and their families, as well as staff and volunteers.  

“In recent years Wisdom Services have been underfunded relative to other comparable service providers and relative to services provided directly by the HSE,” she claimed. “In recent months we have exhaustively explored every possible avenue that could redress the underfunding problem but to no avail.”

“We have been given no level of assurance whatever that the underfunding position would improve in the foreseeable future and regrettably we are not in a position to make up the financial shortfall.”

Sr Quinn said the services provided at Cregg House have, “demonstrated that the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities can be improved by developing residences in their own communities. We sincerely hope that the HSE can in future secure the funding required to provide people with disabilities in this area with modern accommodation suited to their needs.” 

“We have advised the HSE of our decision to cease being a service provider and assured them of our willingness to assist in every way we can to bring about a smooth transition.”

The Daughters of Wisdom would remain in Sligo, “during the transition to support our service users and staff as they adjust to whatever changes may be necessary in establishing alternative arrangements,” Sr Quinn concluded.

In its response, the HSE said it regretted Cregg House is no longer in a financial position to continue its work and acknowledged that the, “period of transition,” would be unsettling for service users, families and staff, but reassured them that services would continue to be provided.

The HSE had said that the cut in funding to Cregg House is in line with reductions to similar services in the region and that it does not have the funds to deal with the deficit, rejecting a Daughters of Wisdom claim that between 2005 and 2010 Cregg House had received, “lower increases in budgets than all comparable sized service providers in our sector.”

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn told the Dáil that the HSE will continue to provide the same services after the order withdraws.  

"The Daughters of Wisdom know that the service will be continued and will be provided.  It simply will not be provided by them," he said.

"I would draw your attention to the fact that religious orders have in other aspects of social life in this country themselves chosen for different reasons to withdraw from the provision of service," he said. 

Fianna Fáil spokesperson Charlie McConalogue said, “the way the Daughters of Wisdom and the 214 users and their families are being treated is a national scandal.

"Why would there be a conscious decision to deplete funding being provided by the Daughters of Wisdom particularly when they have served the community for the last 60 years?" he asked.

“Obvious underfunding of essential front line services the north-west by this Government is simply indefensible, and should be immediately reversed,” he said.  

Sinn Féin TD Michael Colreavy said the HSE, “must now step up to the mark and take full responsibility for Cregg House."

Five years ago, the Daughters of Wisdom commissioned a long-term plan for their Cregg House service that concluded that it had developed a range of specialist services for a range of people and that as the population grew older, its community service would need to be expanded.