SERVICES PROVIDED BY St John Of God Community Services (SJOG) will remain in place for 8,000 service users after an agreement was reached between the care providers and the HSE.

The management board of SJOG has confirmed it will be withdrawing its request to transfer its mental health and intellectual disability care services to the HSE and an agreed timeframe has been put in place to implement care reforms in the services.

Frameworks were also put in place to offset a €32.5 million deficit the care providers had gathered as well as a structured funding model to ensure the future of SJOG services.

The agreement, which comes after 10 days of intense discussions between the care providers and the State’s healthcare system, has been welcomed by SJOG, the HSE and Ministers for Disability Roderic O’Gorman and Anne Rabbitte.

Earlier this month SJOG’s services were reportedly going to be transferred to the HSE this August, due to the provider struggling to keep up with funding issues, unless extra funding was received by the HSE to cover the multi-million euro deficit.

As part of the transfer, the services would remain in place for the 8,000 service users around the country and approximately 3,000 staff within the group’s facilities in Dublin, Kildare, Kerry, Wicklow, Meath, Monaghan and Louth.

However, the board has now withdrawn its transfer request and an implementation plan for a Sustainability Impact Assessment Report has been prepared for SJOG.

There is a commitment to the much-needed funding for 2024 and a guaranteed timeframe to deal with the issues arising from the historical deficit. Staff, those in the care of SJOG and their families have been informed of the decision.

SJOG’s Chief Executive Clare Dempsey welcomed the agreement and added the development will be “a matter of relief to many thousands of people”. 

Dempsey said: “The talks process with the HSE brought many difficult issues to the table over recent weeks.

“I believe we have emerged from this process with a broader level of understanding of each other’s positions and a new, more partnership-oriented approach towards addressing the underlying problems that both we and indeed our sector faces, and that from here we can hopefully advance the wider agenda for all in a more positive manner.”

She added that while there is much work yet to be completed within the service, she is confident it can be achieved.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said he was pleased that both parties “arrived at a satisfactory solution” and also recognised the relief it will bring to staff, service users and their families. 

Junior minister Anne Rabbitte said she was “delighted” by the development and and added that the HSE will remain committed to resolving the funding crisis and carrying out the reforms of the service.

Minister Roderic O’Gorman commended both parties for reaching an agreement and pledged that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will deliver solutions to the “complex” funding and service issues.

In a statement this evening, the National Parents and Families Association of St John Of God welcomed the funding agreement.

“The thousands of people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems whom
we represent together with their families were devastated and alarmed by the fresh
uncertainty caused by the possible transfer of services to the HSE,” the group said.

It commended the parties for reaching agreement, as well as the ministers and the unions “for their support in relation to this agreement”.

“It is now essential that this agreement results in adequate and long-term funding for high quality services in line with international best practice and that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Health allocate the required funding urgently.”

It said the funding must be multi-annual, with allocations for at least five years “rather than via uncertain annual estimates”, and must include funding for essential staff in relation to residential, day services, therapies, transport and respite care.

“From long and heartbreaking experience, we know that people with intellectual disabilities and their families have been forgotten for far too long,” the group continued.

“They are indeed ‘the neglected citizens of Ireland’, with report after report documenting how they continue to be disadvantaged despite promises and policies.”

The group also called for the full details of the Sustainability Impact Assessment report to be published “as a matter of urgency”.