No More Wasted Lives

Sir,

We write as organisations representing people under 65 with neurodegenerative conditions, brain injuries, disabilities, and complex needs — along with their families, carers, and frontline workers. We speak for a growing community failed by this system. 

Across Ireland, people under 65 are placed in nursing homes — never designed for their needs. Isolated among residents their parents’ or grandparents’ age, they are denied vital supports like therapy, rehabilitation, neurological care, peer networks, and meaningful activities to preserve their independence and wellbeing. 

We know of a man with Cerebral Palsy whose only option was a nursing home — the same type of facility where both his parents live with dementia. Successive governments have promised to end this practice. His situation has not changed. 

This is not a care pathway. It is a dead end. 

The Ombudsman’s Wasted Lives  Update (2024) reports 32 people under 65 admitted to nursing homes every month.  Over 1,200 now live in these settings — not because of clinical need, but because there is nowhere else to go. This is a human rights issue. Everyone, including those with disabilities and complex needs, has the right to dignity and equal treatment. 

We call on the Government to commit to urgently develop and enact a national strategy to end this practice. This must include: 

• Regular publication of national data on admissions, their diagnoses and unmet needs; 

• Development of community-based, age-appropriate supported living options; 

• Clear exit pathways for those already in nursing homes; 

• Guaranteed access to multidisciplinary care while people await transition. 

These are not radical asks. They are the bare minimum in a country ranked among the wealthiest in the world based on GDP per capita. 

We need action — now.  

Signed,
Joe Condon, Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Ireland  

Emer Begley, Disability Federation of Ireland 

Dr Karen Foley, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland 

Magdalen Rogers, Neurological Alliance of Ireland  

Ava Battles, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland 

Alan Breathnach, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland 

Shane O’Brien, Parkinson’s Ireland 

Maureen Sweeney, Ataxia Foundation Ireland 

Phillip Hendrick, Centre for Independent Living Galway   

Catherine Cox, Family Carers Ireland 

Marie Hickey, Dystonia Ireland  

Thomas J. Lillis, Huntington’s Disease Association of Ireland  

Richard Stables, Headway Ireland 

Christina Donnelly, Chronic Pain Ireland 

Vicky McGrath, Rare Diseases Ireland 

Theresa Anderson, Cheshire Ireland   

Fiona Bolger, Spinal Injuries Ireland