A protest was held today against the liquidation of a Sisters of Charity nursing home facility and disability centre for blind, visually impaired and disabled women.
St Mary's Centre Telford was established by the congregation over 150 years ago, as an all-girls boarding school for the blind.
In July, the High Court appointed provisional liquidators to wind up the management company of St Mary's which is situated beside St Vincent's Hospital on Merrion Road in Dublin.
A number of the women who currently live on the campus are former students.
In a statement, the Religious Sisters of Charity expressed concern about the closure of the independent company governing St Mary's.
Two of St Mary's residents joined a protest outside the Religious Sisters of Charity in Sandymount, Dublin, this morning over its liquidation.
Eleanor Burke is a former pupil of the school. She has lived in a campus apartment with her dog Ava for two years.
Other residents would have joined the protest, however she said they were "very vulnerable".
Ms Burke said communication methods regarding the liquidation of St Mary's were inappropriate for women with severe disabilities.
She said there was "no proper consultation".
Breda Ryan who worked as the centre administration manager at St Mary's Nursing Home for 34 years until she was laid off in August echoed Ms Burke's view.
"The (lack of) consultation of residents was shocking," she said.
In their statement, the Religious Sisters of Charity said the company governing St Mary's was established in the early 2000s, "to ensure that it would be managed autonomously and professionally by an appropriately skilled and experienced people to take over from the ageing Sisters so they would be run with the best advice into the future".
The Congregation said it understood that the Board took the 'difficult decision', after careful consideration of the financial and regulatory position, independent advice and a review of resources to undertake the remedial works required to bring the home up to the standards required by HIQA.
The Religious Sisters of Charity also said that it understood that the HSE, the body with statutory responsibility, was liaising directly with the provisional liquidator with a view to making transitional arrangements for the residents and the RSC representatives were waiting to hear further from them with their proposals.
Another resident at the protest, Clare Heffernan, said the HSE had not helped residents in their search for accommodation.
RTÉ has asked the HSE what it is doing to help residents seek alternative accommodation and is awaiting a response.
Ms Heffernan also said that despite repeated requests for counselling, she had not received it.
Ms Heffernan said news of the liquidation had heightened her anxiety to such a level that she was unable to bring her guide dog to the protest as it would pick up on that energy.
Parallel to the hurdles faced by residents, staff have been seeking fair redundancy packages.
Ms Ryan was one of about 200 staff laid off in recent weeks due to the closure of former Sisters of Charity facilities in Dublin.
Ms Ryan said she was concerned and angry that liquidation was proposed in the midst of a pandemic.
She said residents had to be moved from St Mary's Nursing Home to other settings.
"Why is all this happening now," she questioned.
Last month, Mr Justice Garrett Simons accepted the vulnerability of patients at St Mary's Telford Centre and allowed an adjournment to allow affidavits to be prepared and exchanged between the parties.
In the meantime, the provisional liquidator Baker Tilly remain on site.
