Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister of State is delivering a response on behalf of his colleague, but the critical questions were about whether the Minister of State had acted on the consultants' call to intervene with the HSE to ensure proper investigation of the incidents and whether the review findings would be properly communicated, with appropriate reforms implemented. The Minister of State said that the findings of the review commissioned by the HSE quality and patient safety division are being finalised, that the Inspectorate of Mental Health Services carried out a targeted intervention into safety and governance for service users in CKST, and that the outcome of this comprehensive review of service delivery in the area would be reported to the executive of the Mental Health Commission as soon as possible. This is work in progress and has not reached a critical point. If we were to look at the shelves for matters pertaining to Carlow, Kilkenny and south Tipperary, we would find reports aplenty that have not been acted on. There is a serious problem with progressing with the required speed reviews and reports that are pertinent to the level of service provision in mental health services and across the health services generally, particularly where there is the potential for loss of life. On many occasions we have had documented tragic outcomes in respect of the general hospital network, but we are talking specifically about service users within the mental health services. In the view of the clinicians, there is an inordinate level of suicide in this area. It is a hugely worrying situation when clinicians of experience act with such unanimity. It is an alarm bell ringing loud and clear for all of us to hear. I must ask the Minister of State to speak to his colleague, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and to appeal to her to make the necessary interventions of which I have spoken and to encourage the conclusion of the process of review and reporting and, most critically, to oversee and ensure implementation of all recommendations at the earliest possible date.

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