Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

From my experience in Cork South-West, I am well aware how willing the Mental Health Commission can be to take action against the HSE, as was the case with room sharing in the acute ward in the mental health part of the hospital in Bantry. I see it also took a strong line recently over the admission of an acute patient to St. Stephen's Hospital in Glanmire over a breach of directions from the Mental Health Commission. We have been very concerned over how silent and not inclined to take action the Mental Health Commission has been in the context of the closure of the Owenacurra centre. The Mental Health Commission claims it wants to keep people in the community. It comes out strongly against a breach of people's rights in other settings but there was nothing on this one. For example, the commission has not taken action or spoken publicly about the transfer of Owenacurra residents to shared rooms and ward-based institutional settings where they could potentially be spending the rest of their lives.

That includes unit 3 in St. Stephen's Hospital, which the commission has basically slated repeatedly. In reports it has raised major concerns about the staff culture, the condition of the premises, the poor rehabilitation focus, and fire safety. It has stated unit 3 is reminiscent of the kind of institution that might have been provided decades ago. These developments have been playing out in the public for everyone to see, and families have had to resort to sharing their stories to get anywhere at what is obviously huge emotional cost to families. These vulnerable residents have been moved from single rooms in a town centre location in their community to these wards far from home under the pretence that they deserve better. They deserve a better service to the high standard of care the Mental Health Commission wants. Under the Mental Health Act, the Mental Health Commission has a responsibility to ensure the HSE is meeting the needs of residents. Without just zooming out and saying we will just look at Cork for the moment, will Mr. Farrelly explain the inconsistency in the commission's enforcement action in that regard?