This morning.

An official inspection has found that almost one fifth of Health Service Executive residences for people with enduring mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities “were in such poor condition that they showed disrespect for the dignity of the people living in them“.

According to the report’s author Dr Susan Finnerty, Inspector of Mental Health Services::

There are continuing breaches of human rights:

The right to privacy

The right to a clean well maintained accommodation

The rights of service users to choose where they would like to live

The right to independent living with appropriate supports

And the right to access appropriate care and treatment through access to rehabilitation and recovery services.

Dr Finnerty concluded:

There are over 1,200 vulnerable people living in 24-hour supervised residences. I cannot stress enough the need for these residences to be regulated to protect the safety of people who live in them.

Regulation would allow the Mental Health Commission to enforce changes where deficits and risks are found, protect the human rights of people living in these residences and help mental health services to provide care and treatment in accordance with best practice standards.