Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have an opportunity to speak to the motion. I wish to deal with the continuing neglect of mental health services. This year the Minister announced an increase of €15 million towards improving mental health services. This figure is derisory, given the requirements to be met. Compared to spending in other areas, the Minister of State will agree it is totally unacceptable.

In Limerick alone €7 million needs to be invested in a special secure unit. Two patients committed suicide in the city's hospital in the past two years. A further €7 million will go towards meeting the Government's commitment to improve the Central Mental Hospital. That would account for the €15 million allocated to mental health services if the Minister decided to spend it on what was required in just two areas.

I also wish to mention the black spots in terms of psychiatric inpatient treatment which have been drawn to our attention by the inspector of mental hospitals whose annual report stated some locations "were unacceptable for the care and treatment of patients because of seriously unsatisfactory conditions". To have such conditions in 2005 in any part of the health service is totally unacceptable.

The areas highlighted by the inspector as having these "seriously unsatisfactory conditions" include most of the Central Mental Hospital; the entirety of St. Brendan's Hospital; almost all of the old building at St. Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe; some long-stay wards in St. Finan's Hospital, Killarney; St. Edna's and the current female admission wards in St. Loman's Hospital, Mullingar; the admission wards at St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane; the female admission ward at St. Senan's Hospital, Enniscorthy; Vergemount Clinic, Dublin; some continuing care wards at St. Luke's Hospital, Clonmel; and some wards at St. Joseph's Hospital, Limerick.

That is an unbelievable list of places where there are totally unsatisfactory conditions for the treatment of patients. The list has been supplied to us in the inspector's report which also states: "In addition, some relatively acute units did not provide safe observation facilities, such as St. James's Hospital, Dublin". I have referred to Limerick Regional Hospital in this regard but St. James's Hospital does not have a special, safe observation facility for psychiatric patients who are suicidal. The report continues: "Some of the smaller private hospitals catering for elderly patients were unsuited for this purpose because of the structure and layout of the premises, with many small rooms spread out over several floors".

Groups of people who are neglected by the psychiatric services include the homeless, prisoners and others who come under the ambit of the criminal law. Immigrants and asylum seekers are also affected by the co-morbidity of intellectual disability and psychiatric care and the co-morbidity of substance abuse and psychiatric illness.

Just before Christmas I tabled a parliamentary question regarding a person who had committed an offence, had been determined by two doctors to be psychiatrically ill and committed to the Central Mental Hospital. To appear in court an insane person must be certified as sane. The same person must be certified as insane again when returned to the Central Mental Hospital. Surely this procedure would not be accepted in any other area of general medicine. Such a practice in this day and age is ethically questionable.

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