Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Eugene Murphy mentioned a case and I am also aware of a young woman who died while in receipt of help from the mental health service in Roscommon. At the time, there was very little come-back from the service for the family or when others tried to find out what was going on and what happened. It is really because of that case that I began to ask what was going on when I saw the report. It flags it to the high heavens that something can happen to a young woman with a family who wanted to get a service and was rejected and pushed away, and ended up in the circumstances that transpired.

The Minister of State has given a response and he said he will do his best but there is a cultural problem there that needs to be addressed. My understanding is that there are people who do not do their job and when they are challenged about it, they have a hissy fit and say they are being bullied and pressurised. We all know it is a difficult balance in the workplace, no matter where one is, but especially in that type of workplace where one is dealing with very vulnerable people. Those who are charged with providing the service need to do it in a much more adequate way than has been the case to date. I accept the Minister of State is new to the job and I wish him God speed to get this issue sorted out because it needs to be sorted out in Roscommon and across the country.

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