Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What I am going to say will not make me popular, but I am coming this from a different angle. I am not qualified in mental health. I happened to be my party's spokesperson on health in the Seanad when A Vision for Change was introduced. I challenged and welcomed it, and thought it was a huge move forward. On many occasions, I have seen a change in patients or friends of mine.

I admire psychiatric nurses for the work they do. It is a job I simply could not do. I was the only Government Deputy in Roscommon-South Leitrim from 2011 to 2016. The accident and emergency Department in Roscommon closed and we wanted to build three different facilities. There is a mental health facility in Roscommon hospital. We approached it and said we wanted to build an urgent care centre, a rehabilitation unit and a palliative care service for the Mayo-Roscommon hospice. The total cost of the development would have been €20 million. We wanted to use the six or seven acres of land that were available and offered to pay for a new mental health facility. We waited six or seven months but were then told that it would inconvenience patients and staff. Five years later, people are complaining that the Roscommon mental health facility is not fit-for-purpose.

We had to build an urgent care centre over what was the endoscopy unit. We are now building around the mental health facility at the back of the hospital. A rehabilitation unit for the west of Ireland is being built. There may be issues with staff but services should be about patients. On local radio, I called on management and staff to work together. At six o'clock one morning I received 20 phone calls from psychiatric nurses. Those in any other occupation who engaged in such behaviour would be taken to court. In fairness, I explained to them that I did not say what was alleged. Psychiatric nurses have a tough job and represent their patients, but they should not target politicians. The action was unprofessional and nasty. The people involved should have known better.

I know what the witnesses are going through. Issues should be highlighted. Mental health should not be a political football. This should be about the patient. How have services improved? What the Chairman is doing today is vital. What happened to me stopped me from getting involved again because I was scared. People in the Psychiatric Nurses Association who should have known better told lies to their staff. When I explained to them that what they alleged was not what I had said, they understood my position. These people should have known better than to ring a politician at six o'clock in the morning. I would not do the job the witnesses do for anything.