The GSD have issued a statement regarding the relocation of Dr Giraldi Home.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

For years, NGOs, pressure groups, service users, families, and the Opposition have repeatedly called on the Government to address the fact that St Bernadette’s is at full capacity, outdated, and  that the facility is in urgent need of a new, larger, modern centre. It is also acknowledged that Dr  Giraldi also requires a more appropriate, updated facility that is designed around the needs and  voices of its users. 

The Government’s recent announcement to relocate residents from Dr Giraldi Home to the Tangier Views site has sparked deep concern among service users, families, and disability groups who feel they have been presented with a fait accompli. The decision comes with little public  detail about the long-promised but still undelivered new St Bernadette’s Centre, a key commitment in the GSLP’s manifesto, and without the kind of real consultation people expect and  deserve. 

The fact is that despite their 14 years office, the Government’s answer is still only a temporary fix,  with no start date, no clear location, and no indication of when the first brick will be laid for the  promised new centre. This follows the same pattern as St Martin’s School, which was built too  small from the outset and has now required yet another temporary arrangement at the old  Strength Factory site whilst an extension is built to the new St Martin’s to address the ongoing  capacity issues. 

People are frustrated and rightly so. They see a government reacting instead of planning ahead.  What Gibraltar needs is not another stopgap but a well-thought-out plan which has services users  and families at its core in a real process of consultation which produces a long-term plan for the  next generation. 

In this year’s Budget Speech, Minister Gemma Arias Vasquez revealed that service users on the  first floor of Dr Giraldi will be moved to a refurbished building next to Tangier Views, while  Tangier Views itself is also upgraded. The vacated space at Dr Giraldi would then be used to  expand St Bernadette’s. 

However, the Government has already funded feasibility studies and surveyors’ reports before  speaking meaningfully with those affected. Families report that a “town hall” meeting was only  called on the 25th of July 2025 for the 14th of August, after the plans had been announced, and  many who need or could one day need these services were not even invited or included in the  distribution of this letter. 

For all these reasons this initiative has all the trappings of a decision made by the Government as  a fait accompli without any real intention of entering meaningful dialogue with families and  service users. 

Shadow Minister for Care and Opportunity, Atrish Sanchez, said:

“It is imperative that service users and their families are consulted throughout the process before  announcements are made, not after. Consulting after the fact is not genuine consultation. It leaves  people feeling uneasy and with little control over their future. People have a right to make decisions  about their own lives and where they live. These conversations must happen when decisions are  being shaped, not once they have been announced. A decision as crucial as this should never be taken  without the full and direct participation of the people most affected. This is the very essence of ‘Nothing about us, without us.’ The way the Government has handled this falls short, and it is  unsurprising that it has caused great unease among service users and families. Beyond this the  Government needs to be more open as to how it intends to deliver plans for a new St Bernadette’s to  allay concerns of families.” 

The message from those affected is clear: temporary solutions and after-the-fact meetings are not  enough and frankly, an insult. Service users and families deserve transparency, respect, and a seat  at the table from day one.