Uncertainty over closures of Sisters of Charity-owned nursing homes

Two nursing homes owned by the Sisters of Charity were closed suddenly, taking staff, residents and the nuns themselves by surprise, sources say.

The closure of Dublin nursing homes St Monica’s and St Mary’s and convalescent home Caritas was due to economic constraints.

The sisters released a statement saying they “are very concerned about what has emerged in these three independent companies”.

The statement points out that the homes were set up as independent companies to provide “professional management to take over from the ageing sisters to run the establishments professionally and with the best advice into the future”.

Board

A number of sisters sat on the independent boards, with two sisters on the board of St Mary’s, one sister on the board of St Monica’s and two sisters on the board of Caritas.

It is claimed that those sisters felt bound by confidentiality from discussing goings on at their particular board with the congregation’s leadership or with those sisters who sat on the boards of the other two companies.

The statement continued, adding that “the congregation is very disappointed to learn that there may not be enough funds to pay statutory redundancy to the staff”.

The Labour Court ruled that the congregation should offer workers in the three homes public sector-scale redundancy payments.

The sisters have made no response as yet to the ruling. The congregation this week referred The Irish Catholic to a Dublin-based public relations firm.