John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I share the concerns of the Inspector of Mental Health Services regarding conditions in the long-stay wards of some psychiatric hospitals. I point out in this regard that capital funding of €145 million was provided and expended on the upgrading of mental health facilities under the National Development Plan 2000 to 2007 and additional funding of €20 million per annum will be provided from the new plan in the period 2008 to 2011.

A Vision for Change, the report of the expert group on mental health policy, recommends that a plan to bring about the closure of all psychiatric hospitals be drawn up and implemented and that the resources released by these closures be protected for reinvestment in the mental health service. Work is advancing nationally on the process of replacing the remaining psychiatric hospitals with a range of modern health services. I expect that closure plans for existing psychiatric hospitals will be put in place by the end of 2008. These plans will have due regard to the preferences and the assessed needs of each patient. I also understand that a comprehensive programme for the valuation and sale of mental health facilities is currently in progress. Revenue raised from these sales will be directed towards improving mental health services.

The recruitment pause put in place in September 2007 was initiated as part of the HSE financial break-even plan to facilitate the delivery of services on budget in accordance with the provisions of the 2007 national service plan. This temporary pause in recruitment ended just three months later on 31 December 2007 and any posts falling vacant from 1 January 2008 can be filled, subject to the provisions of the HSE employment control framework for 2008.

With regard to the implementation of A Vision for Change, the position is that the HSE recently approved an implementation plan which sets out six key priorities for 2008 and 2009. Following concerns raised by the Office for Disability and Mental Health regarding the need for a longer-term focus, the HSE has indicated that it will prepare a more comprehensive plan before the end of this year.

A Government decision in May 2006 approved the development of a new national forensic mental health facility at Thornton Hall, north County Dublin. The new hospital will provide a therapeutic, forensic psychiatric service to the highest international standards. The decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital is consistent with A Vision for Change. In the circumstances, there are no proposals to revisit the Government decision of May 2006.

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