Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The issues that I wish to raise in the short time that I have regard County Kerry. A €2 million four-bed high-observation unit in University Hospital Kerry was completed in December 2014 but remains closed and is yet to be commissioned due to nursing staff shortages. An €8.5 million 40-bed long-stay rehabilitation unit was completed on St. Margaret's Road, Killarney, in December 2015, but it remains closed and is yet to be commissioned due to nursing staff shortages. There has been a lack of progress in developing community-based services in Kerry in line with the 2006 report, A Vision for Change. Crisis intervention is only available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is no out-of-hours or weekend night cover. A new post in primary care called SCAN - suicide crisis assessment nurse - has been developed nationally, but no SCAN post is available in County Kerry. In 2016, 16 children and adolescents were admitted to adult services in University Hospital Kerry in Tralee due to a lack of inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, CAMHS, beds in the county. These people are falling between the cracks. There are no crisis or intensive care rehabilitation unit, ICRU, beds. There have been delays in the refurbishment of acute services. There is no liaison or clerical nurses. The home-based treatment team, HBTT, is highly functional and incredibly well regarded within Kerry, but it has been allocated provisions and nursing resources that facilitate and care for only 30% of the Kerry catchment area. This makes no sense. Day services should be staffed to provide assertive outreach services, but no team exists. An old age team has been long term without a consultant. A lack of nurses is a major issue and the service is dependent on overtime to keep functioning. Up to 40 nurses would be required to replace retiring nurses. The more expensive option of paying overtime does not make financial sense.

I will use this opportunity to highlight something that my brother and I are glad to have often participated in alongside thousands of others. Nathan's Walk is taking place on 7 May at 4 a.m. in Killarney. It is a part of Darkness into Light, which occurs around the country. I compliment the thousands of people who pay their €4 and take part in the walk at 4 a.m. in memory of all of the lovely and beautiful children, adults and elderly people who have tragically been the victims of suicide. That much-needed funding goes to an important resource that fights suicide and funds suicide prevention.

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