John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I want to ask about the facilities for mental health treatment within University Hospital Galway. The acute mental health facility within the hospital has 50 beds but they are consistently full. That raises concerns about the ability to admit new patients to the ward. Increasingly and anecdotally, I am coming across stories of people attending the accident and emergency unit who are unable to access an inpatient bed. To compound matters, the Mental Health Commission found that the accident and emergency unit at University Hospital Galway was one of eight hospitals in the country - my understanding is it was the only tier 4 hospital - without a dedicated space for mental health assessment. The Sharing the Vision implementation plan advised that letters have been sent to all these hospitals, including Galway. I am seeking an update on that.

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