Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of the lack of 24-7 acute mental health beds in Wexford. I ask this in the context of the closure of St. Senan's Hospital way back in 2006. Nine acute mental health beds were closed at the hospital and it was promised they would be relocated elsewhere in County Wexford, but this never happened. Fast forward to today, somebody who has a mental health difficulty or breakdown outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Monday and Friday has nowhere to go but to the accident and emergency department, which is often not the most appropriate place for somebody in a mentally distressed state. What steps are being taken to deliver 24-7 acute mental health beds in County Wexford so people can get the right care in the right place and, crucially, at the right time?

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