Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak briefly on the Mental Health Commission report on St. Fintan's psychiatric hospital in Portlaoise. I also welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy John Perry, who will respond on behalf of the Department of Health.

The issue of older person's services is very important in County Laois. Many of the residents of St. Fintan's Hospital in Portlaoise are elderly. Proposals have been made regarding the closure of two such facilities in the county, namely, Abbeyleix and Shaen hospitals. In that context, it is important to consider together the two units designated for closure and St. Fintan's psychiatric hospital.

The Mental Health Commission, which is responsible for St. Fintan's Hospital, paid an unannounced visit to the facility on 28 March 2012 in line with normal practice. The commission's report found the hospital "continued to admit residents which had resulted in an increase in the number of residents in the hospital which contravenes national policy on the closure of 19th century psychiatric hospitals." The previous Government's policy of closing such hospitals has been adopted by the current Government, Health Service Executive and Mental Health Commission. The report also found the following:

All residents did not have a choice of main meal and access to fresh drinking water. A therapeutic activation programme was not available for all residents of the approved centre. Residents were not provided with adequate information about the approved centre and the services offered. The Rehabilitation team and the Psychiatry of Old Age team were not adequately staffed with health and social care professionals.

The circumstances in respect of St. Fintan's Hospital are not in dispute. Everyone agrees the facility, which opened 180 years ago in 1832, should close. The Mental Health Commission report referred to its recommendation, made in 2011, that plans to close the hospital "should be progressed with a clear time frame", noting that there were "no clear plans for the closure of St. Fintan's Hospital."

On the day of the commission's visit 38 people were resident in the hospital, 25 of whom were in ward six, with the remaining 13 in what is known as the "rehabilitation area". In its conclusions, the Mental Health Commission report notes that St. Fintan's Hospital "was the only old psychiatric institution in the country to continue to increase its bed number year on year." Instead of closing, the number of beds in the hospital increased in the past year. The report also notes that the residents were either elderly or under the care of the rehabilitation team. The commission's first recommendation is that "plans to progress the closure of St. Fintan's Hospital should proceed expeditiously."

What should be done with the hospital's residents? In May 2012, the Health Service Executive in the midland region published an information and consultation document on its older persons service in which it invited people to participate in a consultation process on the potential closure of two community nursing units, Abbeyleix and St. Brigid's Hospital, Shaen. The document stated that all institutions for older persons in the midlands will be subject to the future decision process and listed facilities in Mountmellick, Longford, Birr, Mullingar, Athlone, Tullamore, Edenderry, Shaen and Abbeyleix. It does not, however, refer to St. Fintan's Hospital because while the Mental Health Commission is responsible for psychiatric hospitals, the Health Information and Quality Authority is responsible for other residential institutions for the elderly and ne'er the twain will meet. As my time has concluded, I will make some final points when I hear the Minister of State's response.

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