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

I appreciate the Minister of State is speaking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who has responsibility for this issue. However, it sounds like the door is already bolted on this issue. It is very frustrating to see in the very last line of the response from the Department that the HSE will "put the needs of service users to the fore in the relocation of this service". The needs are such that they cannot travel beyond where they travel to as it is. These are people who are so isolated from the general well-being of society that getting on a bus is as traumatic as can be. If the HSE is putting the needs of service users first, it will take into account that these are the genuine needs of many service users. It is not that they will not, it is that they cannot. Because of the situation in which they find themselves in their lives due to their mental health issues, they are just not able to engage in society. They have found some way to engage with a local service in Ballymun but if they have to move to another venue outside Ballymun, it will see these people put in an even more vulnerable position.

I am not playing to the gallery. I witnessed these people yesterday. They are so bloody vulnerable that they will not be in a position to travel elsewhere. If the HSE thinks it is acceptable to assess their needs and to ignore the reality that most of these people cannot get on a bus and engage in the way we do, it is not listening to their needs.

We all know of the shopping centre issue. However, where there is a will, there is a way. The HSE, with Dublin City Council, has a social inclusion unit. It needs to look at these people within their community and see what can be done with the new buildings in Ballymun in the hope that the new service can be located within the area, so all 44 or 45 members can continue to access this service.

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