John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is not good enough. The Minister of State has not addressed any of the issues. As I said to him, there are 44 beds and 51 patients. How can the Minister of State tell me that is good health care, whether for mental health or otherwise? How can he say to a family waiting for a counsellor for three to six months that is satisfactory? I respect that the note the Minister of State read was probably given to him by the HSE. It is a load of nonsense. It is not true. The Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland went out on a picket line - its members went out on a protest march. They did not do that for fun. The reply the Minister of State has given does not answer the questions. It is very unfair to put that ráiméis on the record of this House without addressing the real trauma that affects the families of those who are patients in the department of psychiatry in St. Luke's General Hospital in Kilkenny. I ask the Minister of State to come and see it for himself. He should visit it and see the capital expenditure that is needed. It is obvious. Will he please explain to me why the HSE can outsource its counselling service to a voluntary organisation and not pay for it? It is reprehensible that our Government would stand by and watch what is going on in the south east and in the department of psychiatry in St. Luke's General Hospital and not do something about it. It is unacceptable that the management would not acknowledge the fact that it is not delivering the services, that there are inappropriately placed people in the department of psychiatry and that young people and others are asked to come in as patients and take their place on a chair and sleep there.

Mental health issues are not the same as a broken leg; they mean a broken life. We are putting people's lives at risk if we do not accept the fact that our services are falling down around us and we are not prepared to acknowledge it. It is not just that the Minster of State is not prepared to do so. The HSE and the Department are also not prepared to do so because they wrote the briefing note for him. They have, therefore, told a story that is absolutely misleading. The Minister of State should meet union representatives and talk to them about this. He should visit the hospital and at least acknowledge the fact that something has to be done. People who are suffering from mental health issues and poor well-being are in a situation where services cannot cope with what is happening. I ask for a better response and that the HSE be forced to acknowledge what is happening on the ground.

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