Mary Harney was a much-maligned health minister. I did most of the maligning. However, she did set up the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA) and it is shining a searing light into the deficits of our wonderful health system.

Today’s searchlight falls on Cregg House in Sligo, a residential centre for adults and children with learning disabilities. The HSE took over the running of this from the Sisters of Wisdom (really, I’m not joking), when they found themselves at the end of a bad report some years ago.

It seems the HSE has fared just as badly. HIQA looked at 23 care standards and it concluded the centre had MAJOR breaches in 19 of them. MAJOR BREACHES.

In all there were three reports published. I’ve only had the dubious pleasure of reading one of these. This looked at the childrens’ unit. It and four or five patients at any one time and yet there was breach after breach - unlocked cupboards, no fire drills, staff using Children First Guidelines from the earlynoughties rather than the most recent version. Simple, basic things they made an utter ballsof.

The one that got me was late attendance of the kids at school. The school isn’t a million miles away. Like all special schools, it is located on the ‘campus’ (god, that sounds so progressive...) so it should be easy to get there.

WRONG.

The school had to complain that one child didn’t get to school until 10.30am. Education is vital to any child with special needs. The excuse for not getting the child to school sooner? The child could not be dressed on time because of lack of staff.

There were four or five children in the unit at any one time. Not enough staff. It’s not rocket science.

I despair.