Parents of children with intellectual disabilities in Galway have hit out at cuts to the Brothers of Charity budget, saying the move will deprive parents of valuable respite.

However, despite a commitment in the renewed Programme for Government in October 2009 to 'prioritise the interests of people with disabilities', the Brothers of Charity in Galway has been told that their budget is to be cut by two per cent this year, representing a cumulative cut of five per cent or €3.2 million since 2008.

The services' budget was cut by one per cent in 2008, a further two per cent in 2009, to be followed by the proposed two per cent cut this year.

Speaking to the Galway Independent this week, Parent Representative on the Board of the Brothers of Charity in Galway, Eamon Walsh said the charity was now scrambling to make the cuts, with parents worried that valuable services will be cut or curtailed.

"The country is pre-occupied with Tallaght Hospital and GP referral letters not being opened and the worry is that disability service cuts are going to get lost.

"There are already 20 jobs that the board can't fill due to the embargo, including the post of CEO. Some parents are already finding it difficult to cope and the cuts are seriously going to affect services," he said.

Mr Walsh said that while parents and service users could appreciate that there were ways to get extra value for money and the charity could absorb some cuts, it could not absorb €3.2 million, when the charity was already finding it difficult to cope.

"There are 66 adults in urgent need of new/improved services as things stand. The worry is that all the good work that has been done over the past fives years is going to be undone," he said.

Brothers of Charity Acting Chief Executive Anne Geraghty confirmed that management were very concerned about proposed cuts to the budget, which included a two per cent value for money cut, vacant post funding cuts that amounted to another two per cent and cuts to staff increments that amounted to a further half per cent.

"We are also carrying a core funding deficit of about half a million. That arose over a number of years ago because we responded to health and safety issues. The HSE is aware of that," she said.

"The current financial situation is making it very difficult for us. We have a meeting with HSE next week and will be in better position then to know the detail and what the implications are for us," she added.

The HSE said the total amount of the reduction in funding to the Brothers of Charity in Galway has yet to be finalised.

"We are currently in discussions with the Brothers with regard to the exact figures and with regard to the possible impact on services.

"While the funding situation is indeed very difficult, every effort will continue to be made to ensure that the impact on front line services is minimised and that the highest priority needs continue to be met," a spokesperson said in a statement.

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