Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In her statement, the Minister of State indicated the vision for care is the right care in the right place and at the right time. I refer her to a case that developed in my constituency last week. I was contacted by a mother who was upset and distraught about her son, who had a mental health breakdown. The emergency services and gardaí were called before an armed response unit was eventually called to try to deal with the case. The person was brought to Connolly Hospital, where he was told he would be admitted. Unfortunately, the unit there was locked down because of Covid-19. He was told he would get a service somewhere else and although he waited all day, that did not materialise. He was in the accident and emergency department for three solid days before staff eventually told him it was not an appropriate place for him, and that was absolutely correct. Unfortunately, there was not a single bed available for him the entire State. The man was told to go home and his mother asked what would happen if another episode took place, as he was still in a distressed state. She was told to call the gardaí, which is completely unacceptable in this day and age. It is also at odds with the Minister of State's speech, which spoke about the right care at the right time and in the right place.

I said I would come here to speak on behalf of that man and his mother, as well as the countless others whose experiences I hear of on a daily basis. Even last night I was out for a walk and spoke to a person who manages a centre who said the same thing about its service users. I am pleading that the Government activates that surge capacity, if it is there, for a mental health service. I got a call last night informing me the St. John of God service was also in lockdown. People who were able to be discharged were discharged but it was taking no new patients. We need surge capacity for the people who are really in desperate positions. Their families may be in desperate positions as well and they do not know where to go. We do not know where to tell them to go either.

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