John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, service users of Tús Nua, which is a mental health day centre service in Ballymun, were informed by the staff of the imminent closure, most likely in September, of the day centre service in Ballymun for people in the area who are suffering with mental health related issues. Before that information was relayed to some of the service users, approximately 15 of those users came to my clinic yesterday morning with their concerns. If nothing else, it gave me a first-hand insight into who these people are and how the proposed closure of this service would affect them.

Tús Nua is a one-stop-shop for these residents. They explained to me that essentially it has become their lifeline. As I witnessed yesterday, these people are in perhaps the most vulnerable category of people in the area I represent in Ballymun. They rely heavily on this service. They see it as a place where they can drop in, and some of them drop in four or five times a week. It is where they have opportunities to chat to a professional and to look at ways to deal with their mental health issues, be it through arts and crafts or cooking. They also have the opportunity to look at the issue of money management and other basic life-related issues. Clearly, they were very concerned and I have taken on their concerns, given that they are very vulnerable people.

I understand that the proposed closure of Tús Nua, and the Minister may correct me if I am wrong in that regard, is based on a report from the HSE. It was initiated in 2013 in the HSE north Dublin city area, which comprises part of my constituency, to review all day centres. Obviously, given the imminent closure of the Ballymun Shopping Centre and the fact that the service is located in that shopping centre, there was a need to address the day services there, in particular. However, my concern is the 44 or 45 service users who essentially see this centre as a lifeline. They consider it a social outlet, a support structure and a learning environment. I received an e-mail from the daughter of one of the service users in which she told me that the only time her mother goes out during the week is to visit the service.

The people who use the service are exceptionally vulnerable. They are fearful of change. Fundamentally, they must be cared for and their needs must be taken into account before there are any changes. I am hearing proposals that some of these people might have to use a service elsewhere, such as in Coolock or further afield. These are people who will not get on a bus by themselves. This centre is located within less than a mile from their home. They can walk to the shopping centre, go into the day centre and have that connection. Often, that connection makes the difference between seeing the sun or not seeing it in their lives that day. I am very fearful and the service users are exceptionally fearful of what change might lie ahead.

I do not see why it is necessary to have a day service outside Ballymun when there is one in Ballymun already. Ballymun must continue to have a day centre mental health service provision. Not only that, it must be a high-quality service provision. I look forward to hearing the Minister's comments on this. Incidentally, I have been trying to get my hands on the report that suggests these changes but I have been unable to access it. It is hard to have a proper debate on this matter when some of the information has not been made available to me. I understand the information is probably private but it is hard to debate an issue when one does not know everything about why the report is making these proposals.

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