Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the progress made on the development of the mental health unit at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29432/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The mental health unit on the site of Beaumont Hospital will provide acute inpatient mental health services for north Dublin to replace outdated facilities at St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane. The construction phase of the project has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2013. The equipping and commissioning phase should take approximately three months following completion of the building.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for her reply. As she will be aware, a psychiatric unit was promised at Beaumont Hospital 25 years ago when the hospital was constructed. I understand she turned the sod for the new mental health unit in January. Is she confident the January 2013 timeframe is a realisable deadline?

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Yes.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State's reply is certainly welcome in terms of the construction timeframe. Will she also assure the House that, against the background of many other concerns Deputies have about existing service units, the new unit will be adequately staffed and resourced to meet the day-to-day needs of its cohort of residents and service users? Given that it will not be completed for another six or seven months, will she advise when the new unit will be put into service? What interim arrangements have been made in the north Dublin area following the decision to cease admissions to St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane? I have received many representations and expressions of concern on this matter, as has, I have no doubt, the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, who is a resident of the area and represents the Dublin North constituency. The wider population across north Dublin is concerned about local psychiatric services.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Mental Health Commission is the mental health equivalent of the Health Information and Quality Authority. On foot of serious concerns the commission had expressed about St. Ita's Hospital, a number of residents of the facility were transferred to St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, as part of a temporary arrangement.

As the new mental health unit at Beaumont Hospital is an acute facility under licence from the Mental Health Commission, it must fulfil the staffing obligations laid down in the Mental Health Act. Staff levels at the unit must correspond with the level determined by the commission. We should not have any concerns in that respect.

The Government cannot ignore an instruction from the Mental Health Commission. For this reason, the project is proceeding and by the summer of 2013, it will be built, equipped and accessible to those for whom it has been specifically designed. The safeguard we have in this respect is that we must respond to demands made by the commission.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It will be at least 12 months before service users have access to the new unit. My notes indicate that the north Dublin area is under significant pressure as a result of staff shortages, the ending of admissions to St. Ita's Hospital and the retirement of psychiatric nurses. While the impact of retirements is not unique to north Dublin, they are certainly causing a particular problem in the area. On what has been described as a "temporary arrangement", does St. Vincent's Hospital in Fairview have the potential to meet projected demand in the next 12 months? It will be at least one year before the new facility opens, hiccups or snag lists that may present aside.

We discussed last December's promise to make 414 additional appointments in mental health services, for which funding has been provided. Will the Minister of State indicate what progress has been made in that regard? Will any of these appointments be designated for the new facility or, given that they are supposed to be in place before the end of the year, the north Dublin area?

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The use of St. Vincent's Hospital in Fairview is a temporary arrangement and those currently residing in the hospital will be moved into the new unit in accordance with the wishes expressed during consultation with them and their families. A particular issue arises with regard to staffing in the Dublin and mid-Leinster region. Having met its targets in terms of reducing bed numbers and in its community based service, the recent exodus of nurses pushed staffing numbers in the region below a safe level. This issue is being addressed.

On the 414 additional posts, people are being recruited from panels in the other three regions and new panels will be established, where required. The appointees will be in place by the end of the summer. On the Dublin and mid-Leinster region-----

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I referred specifically to north Dublin.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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-----the difficulty is that we may have to convert some posts to nursing. Consultations are ongoing in this regard and agreement on the issue has not yet been reached. The matter is not being ignored and regular meetings are taking place on the issue. Having ring-fenced a significant pot of money for community mental health teams, it is important that this goes well in the first year.