UP TO 45 jobs are to be axed on the Southside following an announcement that the Daughters of Charity are to close Rickard House in Blackrock.
SIPTU and the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO) have condemned the closure of the facility, which provides care to 27 retired members of the Daughters of Charity.
SIPTU organiser David Field said:
“The order notified union members of the proposed job losses at a general meeting on Monday (November 19). The need for investment to keep Rickard House up to standard and other costs were cited as the reason for the closure.
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Mr Field said that both SIPTU and the INMO had an initial engagement with the order to explore ways to keep the facility open and preserve employment.
According to INMO spokesman Philip McAnely, the order cited their annualised costs, which are causing financial strain, as the main reason for the closure.
He said the initial meeting was
“emotionally charged
? and that staff were still hoping that their jobs could be saved.
“The Daughters of Charity have received great reports from HIQA in the past and they have provided a great standard of care,
? he said.
“We have presented all options but it looks like it is definitely set to close.
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Mr McAnenly added that a meeting would be arranged later this week but he believes that it will be to solely set out the terms of redundancy.
Commenting on the job losses, a spokesperson for the Daughters of Charity said:
“This difficult decision was taken after much consideration and deliberation. The accumulated losses for the Daughters of Charity over the past five years has amounted to e4.5 million and this is simply unsustainable.
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The spokesperson added that Rickard House is expected to close between January and March of next year.