Order severs link with mental health service

By Conor Ryan
FALLING vocations yesterday led the Brothers of Charity to end a 124-year-old legacy of running its extensive intellectual disability service as a religious order.

The mental health umbrella group announced the creation of six regional companies and a national head-office to manage its affairs.

Regional leader, Brother Noel Corcoran, said diminishing vocations left the Brothers without the necessary personnel to handle the organisation.

?There are no longer any Brothers working in the local services and we wish to enhance the autonomy of local services and ensure further inclusion of people who use the services, families and the wider community in the governance of our service,? he said.

A statement from the organisation said the Brothers had taken the decision in the best interest of the people who use its services.

There are more than 3,000 people working with the Brothers of Charity but there are no longer any ordained people among its staff.

From now on, the services will be split into six local companies run by lay-people with a board of directors in each area.

These boards will include family representatives, business figures and people from the legal profession.

The Brothers will still be trustees of the organisation, with an involvement at a national level.

A new national office will also be established in Clarinbridge, Galway.

It is understood none of its staff will be affected by the restructuring and it will continue to honour all of its contract agreements with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

In the south east alone, the Brothers employ about 400 people who assist 450 clients.

Regional coordinator Johanna Cooney said the change-around will not affect the level of service offered to clients.

She welcomed the greater autonomy the regional services will now enjoy.

?We are committed to a person-centred approach to service delivery.

?Our underlying focus remains on supporting and assisting each person using our services to identify and realise their personal goals in life and to be equal and included citizens in society,? she said.