Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss this pilot project in Limerick for a multi-agency mental health de-escalation team. It is a mouthful, but it is a really welcome initiative. When I got the role of spokesperson on mental health, I said that I would work in a tangible real way in opposition. I will welcome initiatives that are good.

As was mentioned, the triage team contains mental health experts, members of An Garda Síochána and a paramedic. I first heard about this scheme in a pilot project that was rolled out in parts of Belfast by my mental health spokesperson counterpart in the North, Ms Órlaithí Flynn MLA. It was run between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on a Friday and Saturday in parts of Belfast for a year. The results speak for themselves. They were really good. The team had 193 referrals in that space of time. Of these, 94 referrals were face-to-face crisis de-escalation contacts. Out of these crisis de-escalation contacts, they managed to divert 131 people who would have had to attend emergency departments, which is most welcome. It took the pressure off an already-under strain hospital system. It also diverted 61 people from the judicial system. I spoke last week about how the gardaí are the gatekeepers for mental health. The pilot diverted 61 people who, on another day, could have found themselves being charged, despite the fact that they were mentally unwell, because they may or may not have broken the law. This crisis de-escalation team was able to meet, treat and triage them in the community and refer them to the appropriate services.

I am looking forward to hearing the Minister of State's response to the issue, because it is a welcome initiative.

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