Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Mental Health Commission does not regulate this area but what I understand from the response is that there is no access through the public services to those other care pathways, and that it is medication only.

I move on to the absence of suitable and acceptable placements. Some 27% of people who are homeless have disabilities and mental health issues. They are sleeping in doorways and on streets. When they are taken out of congregated settings, they move in with elderly parents, experience a crisis and then end up in Garda stations, accident and emergency departments or on the streets. Given that we are in the middle of a crisis and that people with disabilities and mental health issues are disproportionately impacted by homelessness, is there an argument to be made to stop decongregation? I am not talking about Owenacurra here. Is there is an argument to be made for suspending decongregation until we have the proper supports, services and settings in place for these people? In my view, this is a failure in our duty of care. It is barbaric to decongregate people into settings they do not want to go to or in which they are likely to go into crisis. We are doing harm when we to do that. What is Mr. Farrelly's view?