The Orange Valley facility and its 13 clients were forced to shift from its Parsons Road location to a temporary home at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI) in 2003.

Health Minister Patrice Minors later told parents she was "committed to finding a permanent location" for the clients.

But last week the Minister said that plans for a permanent home had been dropped, prompting allegations from one parent that she had "lied to us from the jump". Yesterday Mrs. Minors hit back, claiming it was the responsibility of the parents to find a new location.

A Government spokeswoman said: "The Minister found this issue outstanding when she was appointed in July 2003.

"The Ministry subsequently made significant efforts to try and to locate a facility and they were successful in entering into an arrangement with MAWI whereby a section of their facility was availed to the programme.

"In the meantime, she says, a committee of parents was established for the purpose of identifying a permanent location. This proved difficult, given Government's limited building availability, and in due course, the committee apparently dissolved.

"Over time, with the perception that the programme is running successfully, and no reports of significant complaints, she no longer considers the issue of finding a permanent location to be a priority."

Last night Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said she was appalled by Mrs. Minors' attitude.

"She doesn't know what her job is. Someone needs to sit down and tell her what her responsibilities are as a Cabinet Minister," Mrs. Jackson said.

"She is being paid by taxpayers to take care of the health and welfare of people and she's foisting these responsibilities onto the parents. She's the Minister and yet she's then turning to these people and telling them 'you go out and find a place for them'. Where is the compassion?"