A group of residents from a mental health facility in East Cork are to deliver a letter to the Taoiseach's constituency office this afternoon.
The residents and the families are taking the action as the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton has been earmarked for closure despite the fact that many of the residents have lived there for over 30 years and see it as their home and the staff as their family.
The HSE says the building is no longer fit for purpose however the Joint Committee on Health has examined the facility and expressed dissatisfaction at it's planned closure.
Residents and their families believe that it's now time for the Taoiseach to step in and reverse the closure of the centre and support them in their right to live in their own community.
Speaking to RedFM News Maureen O'Sullivan, whose brother is a resident at Owenacurra, says the State has a responsibility to step in and take care of the residents best interests:
"The state needs to be present as a kind of a substitute parent or a substitute guardian to take care of their interests. We don't accept that Owenacurra is going to close and we're fighting to keep it open. It's very special. It socialises people. They've got a family there so they're not just cleaners, cooks, nursing staff; they're much, much, much more than that. They're family. It is an absolute example of best practice in mental health services".
