Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Mental health services in west Cork for young and old people leave much to be desired. Only last week, I broke a story I had known about for some time. It concerned our mental health facility known as the centre for mental health care and recovery in Bantry. It is an acute admission unit, which services the west Cork population of more than 50,000 people. The service also has a community mental health team, consisting of community-based mental health nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists etc. In recent weeks, I have spoken about the real facts concerning the conditions in that facility where staff numbers are at an all-time low and the staff members are stretched to the limit. I am blowing the whistle on what can only be called awful management at the centre for mental health care and recovery in Bantry.

There is a major staffing crisis in the unit. The answer to that problem from management was to pull staff from working in the community. The community staff ensure that people stay out of hospital. I am referring to people who need a multitude of different support systems. Agency staff are being brought from Cork city and being accommodated in a local hotel to fill the staff shortages. The morale on the ward has never been worse with many staff going off sick with stress. Those who have spoken to me have no one to turn to. They know that they would be in danger of being sacked if they are traced or their identity becomes known.

Only last week, the Mental Health Commission released a report, which I have to hand, on Bantry mental health services. A drop of 10% in areas across the services has been recorded since another report was carried out in 2017. If we look closely at the report, and I have looked as closely as I can in the time I have had, it is easy to see why. It is simply down to staff shortages. I will be keeping a very close eye on how this issue will be dealt with in future and watching to ensure that no witch-hunt takes place. The wrong that is ongoing in the centre for mental health care and recovery in Bantry should be rectified. The great pressure on the staff should be eased and the happy working atmosphere that used to exist in the unit should be restored.

I know that recruitment and retention of staff in an area like west Cork can be challenging for management. It might help to alleviate the situation if certain steps were taken. Are contracts being offered to each group of students graduating? Are they being offered the opportunity to work in areas like west Cork? Is there a policy to protect community services? Can staff be reassured that if they make a complaint in good faith that they will not be penalised?

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