Dr. Susan Finnerty:

Specifically during the Covid-19 crisis, access to some services has been limited, especially the therapeutic services and programmes offered by occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers because they have not been able to get into work. As Mr. Ryan has alluded to, there has been some move to use videoconferencing techniques to enable people to have therapy sessions, but there would be no group work or skills-based programmes in the hospital or approved centre.

Access to community services would also be quite limited at times for the same reasons - that people are unable to attend their occupational therapist, social worker, psychologist or other therapist because of the Covid pandemic. Access to non-medical, non-psychiatric treatment has been limited and very inconsistent, with widespread variation throughout the country as to where services are able or unable to provide therapeutic programmes.