Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)

I welcome all those initiatives. It is really important that they are integrated with existing mental health services. Initiatives must be even and consistent throughout the country, with adequate access. In addition, we need to look at acute mental health capacity in its totality in terms of beds. In the acute psychiatric unit in Roscommon University Hospital, up to a third of beds are taken by people who would be better served in supported situations in the community. In County Roscommon, there were many community hospitals and problems were identified with them. However, after the closure of the psychiatric hospital in Castlerea, there has been no replacement capacity in the community to step people down into those beds and create space for acute presentations to the psychiatric unit in Roscommon University Hospital.

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