David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have read all of these reports going back a number of years, all of which point out the same shortcomings, problems and failures. Mr. Ryan will be aware that in my constituency a number of reports were published specifically about the department of psychiatry in University Hospital Waterford. The position does not seem to be improving. I have given an example where the figures are going in the wrong direction. The reports point out that there are staffing problems. The report on Waterford unit found that the unit was not clean, bins were overflowing in some toilets, there were cigarette butts and stains in toilets and patients were on floors. This does not paint a very good picture of some of these centres and how patients are being treated.

To come back to the fundamental point, notwithstanding whether we have Covid-19, if the regulator says that some people patients are being treated as second-class citizens, it is a damning statement to make. I am sure it was not made lightly.