INMO Protest at Dáil 22 September

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), as part of its ‘Campaign for Excellence’ in Intellectual Disability (ID) Services, will hold a lunchtime protest, outside the Dáil, at 1.00pm,  22nd September 2015.

 

This Campaign for Excellence, which has been organised by the Registered Nurses Intellectual Disability (RNID) Section of the INMO, has two broad objectives as follows;

 

Ø  To highlight the cuts to ID Services, over the past six years, and the resulting negative impact upon the lives of those with an Intellectual Disability; and

 

Ø  To reaffirm the central role of the RNID in the provision of all services to clients/services users.

 

This campaign has been commenced against the backdrop of the overall budget, for disability services, having been reduced by 9.4% since 2008.  This reduction in funding has led to a reduction in staffing by up to 15% with a significant reduction in the number of RNID’s, the specialist professional for Intellectual Disability,   employed in the sector.

 

Tomorrows protest will see staff, from frontline services across the country, come together to engage, with TDs/Senators and the public, to explain how these cuts are negatively impacting upon the lives of the weakest, in society, and must be stopped and adequate funding restored.

 

The Campaign has also commenced against the background of very critical reports, from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), with regard to a number of ID services. These reports confirm inadequate staffing and living environments, for services users, and cannot be ignored.

 

Speaking ahead of the protest INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said;

 

“This campaign is simply our RNID membership speaking up, and acting as an advocate, for those they serve who may not be able to speak for themselves.  The budget and staffing cuts, in recent years, have resulted in a real reduction in services, to these fellow citizens, which is unacceptable and, in effect, reduces their potential and their ability to fully integrate into wider society.

 

We call upon the general public, to support this campaign, and this can begin by joining with us, at1pm tomorrow, outside the Dáil.”

 

The INMO’s Campaign for Excellence will continue, after tomorrow, with a meeting with the Minister, further engagement with TDs/Senators at local level and further engagement with service providers, services users, and their families.  In addition, the INMO has published a booklet on the Role of the RNID – the specialist professional for Intellectual Disability services.

 

The Campaign will also include, if necessary, protests at workplace level, as INMO members will no longer accept unsafe, or unsatisfactory, services being provided to the client.

 

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