Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Mental Health Commission, as the licensing authority, has conditions, the first of which states that the maximum number of residents that may be accommodated within the acute unit of the approved centre is six patients. There is also a sub-acute unit of an additional 30 patients. People with acute psychotic conditions need acute beds in acute units. There are now 14 beds. From next Wednesday, there will only be six. There are no provisional plans to deal with that eventuality. The HSE met the Mental Health Commission on 27 January and it failed, at that stage, to convince the commission not to reduce the number of beds. If it fails again between now and Friday, what contingency plans are being put in place by the Minister and the Department to provide acute psychiatric services provision for the people of Wexford and Waterford?

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