Over 100 Dublin families with children with learning disabilities are to lose their weekend respite services.
The cut in services is due to Government underfunding, according to the Director of the Daughters of Charity services.
The decision has been greeted with alarm by parents at the Navan Road centre, who want the Government to restore what they call their 'lifeline' by allocating more money to their disability services.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority has said it has agreed to spend €49,000 on additional respite care for the Daughters of Charity Services and it is currently in discussions about the total amount of respite care to be provided this year.
The Authority acknowledges that money is tight but says it wants to ensure that as many services as possible are provided within available funds.
The families are staging a protest march on the Navan Road this afternoon.
