Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As mentioned by the previous speaker, Sinn Féin will be supporting it. I am happy with the Minister of State's honesty in her opening speech in regard to the existing hospital not being fit-for-purpose. She is spot-on. It is archaic. An article I read recently states:

It is sobering to think that the brand new, and long-awaited, national psychiatric hospital will be full within a few years, such is the demand.

The new Central Mental Hospital, located in Portrane, in north Co Dublin, will increase the number of beds by two-thirds ...

In anyone's books that seems like a substantial increase.

However, because it is coming from such a low base and because the beds are being taken up by a constant stream of people being sent by the courts as a result of being found not guilty by reason of insanity ... its increased capacity will be soon swallowed up.

Over recent years, the ability of the existing Central Mental Hospital, CMH, to take offenders from the prison system - of convicts who have been assessed as having serious psychiatric disorders - has fallen significantly.

That is serious because we are well aware that the prison service is oversubscribed when it comes to people with mental health issues.

I want to return to the Minister of State's comment that the existing hospital is not fit for purpose. I read the Inspector of Mental Health Services 2019 report, which found that only one compliance with regulations was rated as excellent and that the hospital scored only 69% in terms of overall compliance. That is a shocking indictment of a hospital in which our most vulnerable patients are resident. In the section dealing with compliance and risk, the report refers to people wearing clothing that was rated as non-compliant as being high risk. In the context of searches, people going missing was rated as non-compliant and a high risk. In regard to privacy, people had no privacy and, as mentioned by the Minister of State, the premises was deemed not fit for purpose. It has failed all of the inspections. Staffing is also an issue.

Anything that is an improvement is always welcome. We have had a lengthy wait for this new hospital. I am curious to know if we will have enough resources to staff it. No doubt, there will be another inspection report in respect of the existing facility next year. In the context of the maintenance of records, operating policy and procedure, the rules governing the use of seclusion and the code of practice for the use of physical restraint, the facility was found to be non-compliant or moderately compliant. I suspect that much of this is down to staffing issues. Staffing is a matter about which I am very worried.

The Garda was mentioned. I remember when I lost my brother. I spoke to the Bean Garda at the door and I apologised for what was happening that night. I asked her if she was going home and if she had a family. She told me she had two young children. I asked her if she received any training or counselling in respect of mental health and she said "No". That was in 2002. I am glad that has changed and things have moved on but I believe we should be putting a lot more into education for An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service, the Fire Service and the Irish Prison Service and into resourcing them as well. They are the first point of contact with these people. Whether they are in or out of the prison system these are the first four services they will meet.

I want to touch on resources. It was mentioned at the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Mental Health this morning that 114 assistant psychiatrists were taken on last year. I know of a person who left a post because there was nothing to do. One or two other people have since moved into the Irish Prison Service. They are very happy and that is welcome.

I am pleased that we have moved forward. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that, when this transition occurs, there will be some follow-up to make sure that staff are fully resourced and that patients are protected. If we can get the new facility off the ground properly, we can be proud of what could prove to be a decent legacy.

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