Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Minister that the evidence is mounting up that there is a quite a dangerous situation emerging in mental health services right across the country as a result of chronic staff shortages. The situation in Galway is merely the latest example of this where, with 36 assaults on staff, workers feel forced into a situation where they do not go into work because of staff shortages, but it is not an isolated example.

Two weeks ago, a psychiatric nurse in Cork was suspended for talking to the media about services being unsafe because of staff shortages. Deputy Denis Naughten mentioned the situation two years ago. We had exactly the same situation in Roscommon where nurses refused to go to work because of an unsafe situation. In my constituency this week, I presume for the same reasons, a man who attempted to commit suicide one week ago was released against the wishes of himself and his family and is now homeless on the streets of Dún Laoghaire.

The situation in child mental health services is even worse. I want to ask the Minister directly did the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, mislead the House when she stated that staffing levels in child mental health services were up to 80% and that protocols for those aged 16 and 17 had been agreed with the IMO when a statement came out last week from the IMO stating no protocols had been agreed and that staffing levels were 55% and are putting patients and staff in danger. Were we misled? In this situation where we are dealing with young people, we are aware of the scandal of young people being put into adult hospitals with mental health problems, but the IMO is in dispute with and is directly contradicting what the Minister of State said about the staffing levels and the agreed protocols when it comes to vulnerable young people with mental health problems.

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