Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I said he should not scaremonger and that he also was not the type to do that.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue which gives me the opportunity to restate the Government's policy on mental health services. The closure of the old psychiatric hospitals and the transfer of patients to more appropriate community-based settings are central to this policy and is a priority for this Government. The evidence is overwhelming that a modern mental health service is best delivered in the community. Hospitalisation should only be used in exceptional cases, and even then, only as a last resort. The Government is, therefore, committed to developing community-based services. Despite financial constraints, I was pleased we were able to announce a special new allocation of €35 million in last December's budget to be used primarily to develop community mental health teams and services to ensure early access to more appropriate services along with improved integration with primary care.

The implementation of A Vision for Change requires the amalgamation of south Tipperary and Carlow-Kilkenny into one catchment area for mental health services. The inpatient bed requirement for the combined population of approximately 205,000 is 34 beds which will be provided in St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny. Accordingly, there will no longer be a need for inpatient beds in St. Michael's in South Tipperary General Hospital and the unit will close.

The psychiatric unit at St. Luke's is modern and purpose built. Service users will be able to avail of a much higher standard of physical inpatient environment there. The unit has the capacity to support the wider extended catchment area and fully meets the requirements outlined in A Vision for Change. The provision of the acute service for the extended catchment area from a single site will release resources to fund more modern community focused services for south Tipperary.

As community mental health services are developed in south Tipperary, the service user will be offered alternative services more appropriate to their needs such as home treatment and community day services. In this regard, south Tipperary mental health services are implementing a comprehensive change programme which is transforming the existing service into a modern, fit-for-purpose service providing a service of excellence to the local population. The development of community mental health services in south Tipperary is underpinned by a comprehensive €20 million capital infrastructure programme. This will provide a 40-bed community nursing unit, an acute day hospital and community mental health team base; a 12-bed high support hostel, and an eight-bed respite house.

A Vision for Change represents the Government's mental health policy. The developments and plans for the mental health services in south Tipperary are fully in line with that policy and enjoy mine and the Government's full support. Service users in the region will reap the benefits from the significant improvement in quality and access to mental health services in south Tipperary. I have conveyed again my commitment to the HSE that St. Michael's should not close until the appropriate community-based services are in place for the area concerned. I trust this has clarified the issues for the Deputies.

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