St John of God accounts misuse
Deputy Munster raised alleged misuse of residents' personal bank accounts at St. John of God in Drumcar for institutional purchases. The Taoiseach said the Minister for Health would deal with the matter and called such misuse of private accounts a crime.
I wish to raise the issue of social and health care services for people who have an intellectual disability, particularly in light of the financial misappropriations at St. John of God's in Drumcar where residents had money taken from their personal bank accounts to purchase medical supplies that St. John of God's should have purchased. One resident also had his own personal bank account raided to purchase cutlery, soft furnishings and a fireplace for St. John of God's. Given the apparent lack of oversight, or any scrutiny at all by the HSE, despite the fact that millions upon millions of euro in public money is paid into this service, will the Taoiseach give a commitment to publish the audit of St. John of God's that is currently being carried out in the interests of transparency and because it is funded with public money?
Comment on this
It appears to be more than borrowing from patients' personal bank accounts if what Deputy Munster is saying is true. Obviously, the Minister for Health will deal with this matter. If he has not had the report by now, he will deal with it when he has had time to reflect on it. Clearly we cannot have a situation where patients' private bank accounts are raided to pay for public property in any facility. That is a crime. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to Deputy Munster in this regard.