Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This is my first opportunity to follow up correspondence I sent to the Minister of State on 14 July regarding the outworking of the Government's policy on mental health inpatient units in the north east. I acknowledge the reply he issued to me on 19 August. Specific questions which I asked in my letter did not receive a response in the Minister of State's letter. Is it the Government's intention to close the admissions unit at St. Davnet's Hospital by the end of November and to discontinue new admissions to the unit from 1 November? I understand all new admissions are to be redirected to the inpatients unit at Cavan General Hospital. It is important that people know the precise situation. This has been suggested and we are weeks away from the prospective outworking of the matter. People within the service and across the community have not been advised of the factual position.

The Minister of State's reply of 19 August referred to an inpatient service planning group established in 2007 to plan for inpatient services not only for Cavan-Monaghan but also for the entire north east. The letter stated that the group recommended that a purpose built acute admissions unit be provided and that a site on the campus of Cavan General Hospital had been identified. It went on to indicate that an interim measure would be put in place in terms of utilising the existing admissions unit at the hospital and that the numbers which heretofore passed through St. Davnet's would be directed there. I object strongly to the closure of the admissions unit at St. Davnet's Hospital which is in an ideal, long-established and beautiful location. People are now being directed to the basement area of a general hospital. I have visited this unit and felt discomfort upon entering it.

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