Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The report by the Mental Health Commission should be the line in the sand that we need in improving acute psychological and psychiatric services. Unfortunately, there is nothing in our history in terms of the response of the State to reports of this kind that gives me or others any hope in this regard. We need only to look at the "Grace" case in that regard, and in particular what happens to whistleblowers within State-run organisations who attempt to highlight systematic failures. My fear is that once the review of all CHOs is complete we will be back here again in a short time to discuss yet another scandal of this kind and magnitude. The report notes unacceptable variations in the care being delivered. Some services offer treatment for eating disorders with family-based therapy, dietetics and cognitive behavioural therapy, with ready access to inpatient beds if required, while other teams cannot offer such a service due to the lack of resources.

The report also notes that not only is there variation in the delivery of care across the country, there is also considerable variation in care within a CHO. It is difficult, as the report observes, to see this as anything except a postcode lottery for children and their families in the treatment they receive. The postcode lottery is something of which we in rural Ireland are only too well aware. Within my constituency, HSE services that deliver high levels of complex care to children and young adults with a mental and physical disability in counties Laois and Offaly are experiencing a significant staffing crisis. I have raised that in the House previously. There are also delays in the primary care centre in Birr. All of that has a knock-on effect on children. I hope there will be progress with the primary care centre very soon.

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