Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is envisaged the new Mental Health Bill will replace, reform and overhaul the Mental Health Act 2001. The Bill contains over 140 sections and introduces, for the first time, a robust system of registration, regulation and inspection of all mental health services, including community CAMHS. Will this happen, however? Every week, I hold clinics all over west Cork. I know from families, parents, brothers, sisters and friends the devastation that mental health issues can cause. I have seen it at first hand. In one particular case, a young lady has so many mental health issues that it seems nothing can be done for her. She goes into hospital. A few days later, she is back out living on the streets, sleeping on a couch or in a car. Her family contacted me and my team helped to get her a house. A few months later, she was back living on the streets with no way of helping herself. She was again admitted to hospital. Afterwards, she was yet again back on the streets with no help. The issue here is the revolving door. She goes into hospital and she is sent back out again with no help. Where does this leave her? Her family are at their wits' end and cannot deal with her. She is in and out of my office on a regular basis and there is only so much we can do to help.

The Mental Health Act must be better than what is in place already. This Bill needs to be introduced immediately without delay. We need to invest in early intervention. I mentioned CAMHS and different issues. Services are not there for people. People who are looking for autism spectrum disorder services and access to CAMHS can wait for 27 months. That is an astonishing wait for anybody. It is leading to savagery and stress on parents. I feel for the parents. One constituent was waiting for four years for an appointment. That is an astonishing failure. I am not blaming the Minister of State personally, but it is a failure on her side of the House that a service was not delivered for so many years. Nobody should have to wait four years to meet anybody. It causes stress for people who need help and are crying out every day. Unfortunately, many of them end up self-harming.

I am delighted that a unit in Bantry has been done up. I welcome that. I give out and fight for services but when they are given we must praise them and meet the road as it comes before us. I went in to see the lovely new unit. We need a stand-alone unit in west Cork because the service needs to be developed. Space is so tight that I do not think the unit can be developed further. That may lead to fewer mental health beds than required in Bantry in west Cork. These beds are needed. I am not here to blow my trumpet and say we are never happy no matter what the Government gives us or that it is not good enough. The unit has been done up, which is very welcome.

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