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FAMILIES DISINHERITED OF MONEY AND PROPERTY ALLEGATIONS. . . An inquiry is being sought into the receipt of money and property by employees and relatives of Western Health Board staff from elderly people in the care of the organisation. The matter has been raised by Mr. Frank Durcan, a member of Castlebar Urban Council, following a number of complaints which he investigated. But the independent councillor made it clear that a very small proportion of health board staff were to blame for the problem and 99.9 per cent of employees were honourable and above reproach in the matter. Mr. Durcan spoke on the controversy at length when he tabled a motion on the issue at a meeting of the council. He said: "I put down the motion after receiving numerous reports from genuine relatives and friends of deceased people whose estates were divided between non relatives, employees and relations of employees of the Western Health Board. "I did not believe the position was as bad as was rumoured until I carried out my own research. "One particular complainant became so distraught over the fact that his family fortune or inheritance had been literally hijacked from a deceased relative that I decided to investigate the complaint and previous complaints I had received over the years. "On investigation of three cases in and around the Castlebar area I made the following findings. "In the first case, I discovered the siblings of a farmer were completely disinherited of both his farm and monies in favour of a nephew of an employee of the Western Health Board. "The siblings subsequently died in the care of the Western Health Board after been maintained for years in an institutions at the expense of the taxpayers. "The siblings and life long carers of the deceased got absolutely nothing out of the estate. "In the second case I investigated, I found the aged sister of a deceased farmer, his neighbours and lifelong carers were totally dispossessed of the farm and monies in favour of the wife and family of an employee of the Western Health Board. "Again the sister and relatives and life long carers got absolutely nothing out of the estate. "In the third case I investigated, again concerning a farmer, I found that two employees of the Western Health Board, among others, got substantial inheritances while the deceased siblings got a mere three figure sum divided between them. "It should be realised that of the three cases reported to me and investigated by me, the complaints in each one were borne out to be true. "I believe this is the mere tip of the iceberg. The abuse is rampant throughout health board." Mr. Durcan made it clear that no practising doctor or nurse in the board's institutions were involved in abusing their positions. "It's outrageous that defenceless, old aged, sick people can be targeted by unscrupulous employees of our health board and be plundered for their belongings both real and personal while their brothers and sisters, relatives and friends find by the death of their brother or sister that they have been disinherited in favour, in some cases, of people who had only come to know the deceased a short time before their death. "It is legally and morally wrong that the system should allow such things to happen. "It vexes and annoys me and all decent people that such can happen in modern day Ireland. "We hear about attacks on old people living alone in rural Ireland, blackguards and thefts who only take monies left lying around the house, while these type of white collar crimes are perpetrated by people employed in well paid permanent pensionable positions at the expense of the taxpayer and nobody has investigated or exposed this in the media. "It further infuriates me that despite the fact virtually all our elected representatives have been made aware of the instances of irregularities, none of them have done one iota to right the injustices perpetrated and expose the evil doers under the privilege of Dail Eireann. "I don't believe any person guilty of such dastardly acts of depriving families of their just inheritances are worthy to be in public employment." Mr. Durcan called on the Minister for Health to amend the conditions of employment of all state and semi-state employees and their relatives in order to prohibit them from receiving inheritances from non relatives that they have come in contact with thought their public offices. He made it clear that 99.9 per cent of health board employee were not implicated, but 'there was a bad apple in every barrel.' "I want to make sure that this never happens again." Mr. Johnny Mee, who seconded the motion, said a similar case was brought to his attention some years ago, but the evidence was very flimsy. "I would be appalled if elderly people were taken advantage of in this way. And if there is even a hint of evidence that this is happening, it should be investigated." Mr. Mee said he was concerned that he might be raising an unnecessary hornet's nest by seconding the motion. "Members of hospital staff will be put under suspicion. It could turn people away from jobs in which they are genuinely interested." Mr. Mee said he had personal knowledge and experience of the honesty, integrity and commitment of the Western Health Board employees and help them in the highest regard. Mr. Paddy McGuinness said you could not take away people's free will. "If people want to give something to somebody who has been good to them, then so be it." Mr. John Condon, town clerk, said he was concerned when he originally received the motion of the good reputation health board employees being blackened. "As far as I am aware, employees of the health board have as a condition of employment to hand over any money they received from patients. "People with property can give it to whoever they want. But it would be totally wrong to give the impression that health board employees are 'on the make.' "Elderly people also deal with people employed in other public and private sectors. Elderly people also deal with financial institutions. The motion, as it stands, is too narrow and too restrictive. It gives the impression that it relates to health boards only." Mr. Durcan said he did not receive complaints involving employees from other public or private bodies. Mr. Sean Bourke stated he did not believe Mr. Durcan's claims. "If it is happening, it is only happening in very isolated cases. "If we adopt the motion as it is, nobody will apply for jobs in the health board." Mr. Bourke said he knew of many professional people who were left property in wills. The Fianna Fail councillor said he was prepared to raise the issue at a meeting of the Western Health Board if Mr. Durcan supplied him with the full facts in each case. Senator Paddy Burke believed the motion was put down in good faith by Mr. Durcan. But he could not support it because of the way it was worded. Mr. Eoin Garavan described the motion as 'a sledge hammer.' "It goes too far and implicates the health board only." Mr. Durcan said what happened in each case was a criminal offence. "The families who raised the complaints with me had already written to the Western Health Board but received no response. I am raising it here in desperation." |
