Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to follow on from some of the questions. I welcome the witnesses and welcome the improvements in the Crosslanes facility in Drogheda. There are still issues about people who may be in drug treatment but who cannot get care because of the drug they are dependent on, although that is a separate issue. As I understand the OECD statistics, one in five of our citizens has mental health issues and we have the lowest bed capacity in Europe, with 34 beds per 100,000 compared with a European average of 69. That adds to the point made by Deputy Cullinane. If a person has severe mental health problems, they will live on average 20 years less than their peers of the same age, so it is a huge issue. Mr. Farrelly is right to be concerned, as we all are. We support what he is saying. The system is not fit for purpose and Covid is allowing us to contribute to the debate on this. I agree that we should put it top of our priority list. As politicians from the Government and Opposition sides, and I am a Government supporter, we need to get this right.

There is a very significant readmission rate and something like 64% of patients who have been in care or treatment go back in. Do we need to have different responses in terms of appropriate recovery and step-down facilities? Will the witnesses comment on whether we have inadequate or any step-down facilities for people who have been in treatment, who should go back to the community but who need a period of care outside the acute setting?