Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was acknowledged by the former Minister of State, Mr. Jim Daly, that we have a deficit of 20 mental health beds in south Tipperary. We do not have a single long-stay bed in the county of Tipperary. People in south Tipperary have to go to Kilkenny, where the beds are full, they are not wanted or there is no room. People from north Tipperary have to travel to Ennis. The former Minister of State, Mr. Daly, promised and committed to this, not only at meetings with other Oireachtas Members and myself but in the House as well.

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, for coming to visit south Tipperary. However, officials have the Minister of State now saying that this was never a commitment and that it was for the south-east region.

Mental health has increased tenfold with the onset of Covid-19. People are being turned away from our general hospital day in, day out and night in, night out. People are desperately suffering with many ending up as suicides Why has the Government stopped collating the self-harm and suicide figures since March of this year? Will the Government honour the commitment to provide long-stay mental health beds in south Tipperary? It is not an add-on extra. It is desperately needed. We need to have those beds and have those patients treated and returned to their families in good health. We had those outcomes for decades. However, since the closure of St. Michael's unit we have no place to go.

They are sent home and many of them end up in their graves.

See this speech in context