Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)

This is a very disquieting situation. As well as having been contacted by concerned family members, I have also had an opportunity to speak to some of the professional staff involved. Deputy Keating has raised this issue briefly but from my knowledge of their views they are just as appalled and dissatisfied at this decision and its implications. As Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan has said, it runs the risk of seriously compounding the anxiety suffered by these five women at the best of times.

I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment to this area and I do not doubt it for one minute. This is clearly an issue of resources and if the decision is to be reversed on 16 January 2012, it means a solution will exist on 16 January. It may be naive of me to ask the Minister of State but I ask if it is possible to bring forward what will be done on 16 January to 13 December, considering the status quo will be reversed in the middle of January. Surely there is some possibility of this being addressed in a way that can solve it for this short period of four weeks. I ask the Minister of State, knowing her commitment to this entire area, to consider this option. The decision to use a locked or a semi-locked ward is completely the opposite direction we should go. It is completely unacceptable that we should have to take that step at this stage of our development. We should be going in the opposite direction and I know this is the long-term commitment of the Minister of State. This is a bad and a retrograde step and I hope the Minister of State can do something to have it reversed.

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