Another serious safeguarding incident is 'conceivable' if the HSE does not address governance and oversight issues at disability centres in Donegal.
The health watchdog HIQA has issued the warning after it carried out inspections at 18 centres in the northwest in January.
The HSE was found to be 'not compliant' under the regulation for governance and management.
Chief Inspector at HIQA Carol Grogan says persons in charge at some centres didn't have adequate guidelines from HSE management:
"There was an over-reliance on the person in charge to recognise and know what should be escalated, and what they could manage within their own service. And really the HSE is required to put in a consistent approach to that so that all centres in Donegal and all residents that are living there are afforded the same level of support, and the same level of protection".
