Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

We need to clarify one matter. No one was mistreated. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett needs to be careful about the language he uses.

I would like to outline some of the background to this issue. When the issue of the transfer of patients from Unit 3B to a low secure ward in St. Brendan's Hospital first arose back in December, I visited the hospital to satisfy myself that the temporary arrangements made for the five vulnerable patients in question were appropriate and would provide a good standard of care. During my visit I was satisfied that they were very well cared for and were comfortable in their new accommodation. I was not alone. Other Deputies accompanied me on that visit.

I spoke with the patients and staff and, while accepting that the move had been somewhat unsettling for them, believed every effort had genuinely been made to keep the disruption for the patients to a minimum. I do not want to overstate this. Clearly, people did not want to be in that position. They would have preferred to remain in their own unit to which they were more used. Because of staff holidays and the Christmas period the move had to be made from a safety point of view.

The decision to keep the patients in another ward in St. Brendan's Hospital was made after careful clinical assessments had been carried out when their individual needs were taken into account. It must be remembered that these women were familiar with the staff in the hospital, some of whom transferred with them. They were also comfortable with their general surroundings. I am delighted that the HSE, with the co-operation of management and staff, managed to reopen unit 3B in early January, a fortnight earlier than originally planned. A degree of organisation was needed for that to happen.

It is important to recognise that A Vision for Change places the service user at the centre of our mental health services, care and treatment. They have a role in how services are offered, including the design, delivery and evaluation of services. The HSE funds and supports a number of voluntary organisations that are working to develop the capacity of service users to fulfil this important role. The trainee advocate involved in this case is under contract with the Irish Advocacy Network, a voluntary organisation that is supported and funded by the HSE to provide peer advocacy services nationally. Peer advocates are people with personal experience of recovery from mental illness who have completed an accredited programme at FETAC level 4.

The HSE has made it clear to me that at no time did it seek to interfere with the internal workings of the Irish Advocacy Network, nor has it ever sought sanction of any kind against the staff member referred to by the Deputies. The HSE has categorically confirmed that at no point - locally, regionally or nationally - was the network advised that this trainee advocate was not welcome in HSE inpatient units. The decision to deal with the issues the network had with certain trainee advocates was taken solely by it.

I understand the Irish Advocacy Network issued a statement today indicating that, following indepth and intensive consultation within the organisation, it has offered to reinstate two trainee peer advocates who had their training posts terminated last week. One of the trainees has agreed to accept this offer. The network is meeting the other trainee tomorrow. The network has made it clear that the HSE had no role in its decision to let the two trainees go, or in its decision to offer to reinstate them to their six-month training posts. I understand a meeting between the HSE and the Irish Advocacy Network is scheduled for this Friday. I will seek a report from the HSE on the outcome of that meeting.

One of the key principles that should underpin our mental health services at all times is that of autonomy for the patient. The services are required to consult service users on service planning and delivery issues. Such autonomy and consultation are critical to our strategic direction in the way in which we intend to continue to develop mental health services in this country. Despite the consequences and the outcome of what happened in this case, it is important for us all to keep in mind that the Irish Advocacy Network is completely independent. I would have it no other way. I do not intend to interfere in any of the decisions it makes, regardless of how we might feel about them. Whistleblowers legislation is an entirely different aspect of all of this. The Irish Advocacy Network needs to be independent. If we start to interfere in its operations, it will not be able to do its job. We need to be very careful about that.

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