Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for bringing this important matter to the attention of the Dáil. I also thank him for his generous comments and commend him on acknowledging my colleague, Senator Maura Hopkins. He and the Senator have been very committed to and focused on this matter, ensuring that it has come on my radar for as long as I have been in this job. The people they represent are fortunate to have representatives of their calibre and commitment to this issue and all matters pertaining to mental health. The Deputy is very passionate and genuine about it and has always acknowledged, in a generous fashion, the work of his colleagues, particularly Senator Hopkins.

A Vision for Change sets out a comprehensive policy framework for the development of mental health services. It recommends, broadly, a move from the traditional, institutional-based model of care to a more patient-centred, flexible and community-based service where the need for hospital admission is greatly reduced while still providing inpatient care, as appropriate. This Government has prioritised the reform and resourcing of our mental health services in line with A Vision for Change.

The Rosalie unit, part of Áras Naomh Chaolain, is located in Castlerea, County Roscommon. It is a continuing care facility for psychiatry of later life patients. There are currently 13 residents at the Rosalie unit and the intention of the HSE is to continue to provide care for these residents in line with their identified needs in their individual care plans. The Rosalie unit has been closed to new admissions since 27 September 2016. The HSE indicates that it is not proposed at present to reopen the unit to new admissions.

With respect to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the report of the expert review group on community mental health services in Galway and Roscommon was published in July 2014. The review focused on 59 residential care settings and resources, including the Rosalie centre at Castlerea. The report was based on the guiding principles of patient centredness, equality, access to quality care that is focused on recovery and integration with other mental health and mainstream health services.

The key goal of the report was to make recommendations to ensure service users maximise their full potential and to improve the quality of their lives overall. It advocates that each client is individually assessed and is provided with the most appropriate care relevant to their needs. The local mental health service and, in particular, the psychiatry of later life community mental health team work with clients and their families to develop plans that will improve their quality of life overall. The executive indicates also that capacity exists within the Creagh suite, in Ballinasloe, to accommodate psychiatry of later life patients who have complex continuing care needs. The Creagh suite is an approved centre under the Mental Health Act, which has recently been extensively renovated and modernised to the highest standards and has access to enclosed state-of-the-art gardens.

The HSE has assured me that in its management of the Rosalie unit it has taken due account of the principles laid out in A Vision for Change and the recommendations of the Roscommon report on mental health services. I, in conjunction with the HSE, will closely monitor the development of all community-based mental health services in the Galway-Roscommon area, including those provided at the Rosalie unit.

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