Lefroy House has turned into a shoddily maintained dump for its 14 mentally handicapped residents, an Opposition MP claimed on Friday.

Speaking during the House of Assembly motion to adjourn, Shadow Community Affairs Minister Louise Jackson urged Government to take some action to improve conditions at the privately run rest home.

?There are 14 mentally handicapped citizens living in substandard, miserable demoralising conditions at Lefroy,? Mrs. Jackson said.

She said that she had to assume that Health Minister Patrice Minors had not actually seen the conditions at Lefroy or she would have taken some action.

?There is one toilet for all 14, one basin which is broken off the wall and cannot be used and one tub and shower. It?s a disgrace.?

She added that the walls in the bedroom of the facility had been attacked by mould and badly needed painting, and a roof had still not been fixed nine months after being damaged by Hurricane Fabian.

?The worse thing is there are people sleeping on bare mattresses on the floor,? she said.

Mrs. Jackson praised the Lefroy House workers, saying they were ?dedicated and compassionate? and had to work under ?terrible conditions?.

?I cannot understand how this Government can allow 14 people who are mentally challenged... but maybe that?s what it is...?

Premier Alex Scott interjected, saying: ?Most of what you are saying is not true.?

And to another interjection that the facility is not a Government operation, Mrs. Jackson said that Government still had a responsibility to step in because the clients are unable to take care of themselves.

?I?m asking the Minister to go out there and have a look,? she said. ?They are all handicapped people and they should be treated in an equal way.?

She continued: ?Get your priorities straight. If you can put in a bus shelter that nobody wants or needs...

?Why spend money on something like that when we have got 14 of our people living in such conditions? Fix that roof or put the 14 clients in a different facility.?

Mrs. Jackson said that the Health Minister had reportedly been to the property but did not enter the facility.

Hope Homes, which is headquartered on Brunswick Street, moved its residents to Lefroy House some three years ago.

The registered charity caters to the needs of mentally handicapped people.

Health Minister Patrice Minors could not be reached for comment yesterday.

?I have been pleading with Patrice Minors since December to have the roof repaired,? Mrs. Jackson said yesterday.

?I think I must have asked at least three times.

?We?re down now to June ? nine months from Fabian. So I decided to drive up to Lefroy House. When I walked through the door I just could not believe it.?

She said the facility has three small bedrooms with one set of bunk beds and one single bed, and another room with two twin beds in it.

??nd the rest sleep on the floor on these mattresses,? Mrs. Jackson said.

She said Government gives financial assistance of $908 a month for each client in addition to a grant for staff salaries.

?The thing is the place is just horrible,? she said. ?There?s no air conditioning and no fans.

?It just amazes me that we could allow anybody to live like that.?