Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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The proposed reduction in the number of beds in the mental health unit in Bantry General Hospital is extremely worrying. The unit provides a vital service for west Cork in treating people in their own locality. Since the news broke, many people have been speaking about the fantastic help they received in the unit including, in some cases, life-saving assistance. I cannot emphasise enough how important these beds are for west Cork. The planned decrease from 18 to 11 beds is due to a finding from the Mental Health Commission concerning the state of the building and physical infrastructure. The HSE legally has to comply with this ruling.

The management has said that if it had the resources for a viable plan to address the issues, it could make a compelling appeal. No one wants to compromise standards and nobody wants the beds to close. We need the Minister of State to intervene immediately in the situation and work with the hospital and the community healthcare organisation management to put a solution in place. This can be resolved by political will. We are looking at a reduction from 18 beds to 11. The average capacity in the mental health unit in Bantry at the moment is generally between 14 and 16. What will happen to the people who are normally in those three to four additional beds? Presumably the first option is that they will be moved to other facilities or places like Carraig Mór. They will be moved out of acute care for all the wrong reasons. If there was a plan like there is in older people's care, for example, that had multi-annual funding, the commission would know something would change down the line. At this point, what are we offering it? There are no solutions so it is going to reduce the number of beds even though we have exactly what we need at the moment. The commission has to do its job and the HSE has to comply. The Government needs to fund this on a multi-annual basis to ensure we can keep those beds.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. As they have outlined, the Mental Health Commission has made the decision to put a restriction on the registration of the Centre for Mental Health Care and Recovery in Bantry General Hospital, given its concerns over the size of residents’ bedrooms in the centre. This decision would mean the centre's total number of registered beds would reduce from 18 to 11. The centre, which is located on the grounds of Bantry General Hospital, provides residents with acute care, rehabilitation and recovery supports for their mental health difficulties. It serves the local west Cork area, including areas around Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Bantry.

The HSE is currently examining all options available to it in light of this decision and is in dialogue with the Mental Health Commission as part of the regulatory process. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has requested a detailed report from the HSE on the matter, which is expected shortly and following the HSE's options appraisal. The Minister of State would like to assure the Deputies that she will continue to liaise with the HSE to ensure all decisions and actions taken regarding the centre are made with the best interests of the residents in mind, both from a health and safety viewpoint and with regard to the provision of appropriate treatments.

Mental health remains a key priority for the Government and we are fully committed to the delivery of high-quality, person-centred, recovery-oriented mental health services. Our long-term strategic aim for our mental health services is to provide a consistent, high-quality service for anyone in need of support for their mental health. Mental health residences, such as the centre in Bantry, provide an important step-down service for people with mental health difficulties, enabling their rehabilitation and recovery and assisting them to move towards independent community living accommodation. This aim is supported by our national policies, Sharing the Vision and Sláintecare.

It is our responsibility to ensure the provision of high-quality mental health services that are fit for purpose. The Government acknowledges that mental health services must constantly evolve and develop to ensure they are in line with international best practice and regulatory requirements. It is positive to note that there has been an overall improvement in compliance among approved mental health centres in recent years. However, it is recognised that further improvements are required to ensure mental health centres continue to meet the appropriate regulatory requirements. The Government continues to invest in mental health centres through capital planning. Some €14 million has been allocated to mental health services in 2022 and a further €6 million has been allocated through minor works capital. The Minister for Health has assured us that additional funding will be sought in 2023 to continue to improve premises.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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If I were to paraphrase that, the Mental Health Commission is saying the rooms are a bit small and therefore it is going to dispatch people off somewhere else. That is my reading of that reply, although it is not for me to say.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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I think the Ceann Comhairle's analysis is accurate. Unfortunately, that was not a very reassuring response from the Minister of State. Rhetoric like Sharing the Vision around mental health services is utterly irrelevant when we are talking about a reduction from 18 beds to 11. Like the Ceann Comhairle said, these people will be moved somewhere else but facilities like Carraig Mór do not provide acute care. People will be moving from acute care for the wrong reasons, because the facility is not up to scratch. What is the plan? Does the Minister of State think the HSE should appeal this decision? On what grounds could it do so? What funding is there to improve the spaces for people in the services? The most important thing here is to move quickly, so it is incredibly disappointing that the relevant Minister of State is not actually here. A strong proposal from her could save these vital beds. If we want to take mental health seriously then these beds are needed. They must be retained and they must be up to scratch. The staff in Bantry hospital do incredible work, not only in mental health services but in essential healthcare for the region. This situation only increases local fears around the future of the hospital. The Minister of State's support, via going to the relevant Minister, would not only help save the service but would boost confidence in the continued role of Bantry hospital.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy, please.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I know but I ask the Deputy to mind his blood pressure, for God's sake.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I hear the Deputies loud and clear. Both the Government and HSE value the regulation of our mental health services. It provides a framework in which to constantly review and improve our services so they remain person-centred. The long-term strategic aim for mental health services is to provide a consistent, quality approach across all mental health residences. The Government will continue to work with the Mental Health Commission and the HSE to improve our mental health services and to ensure they best serve the needs of our service users. I thank Deputies for raising this important matter and assure them that their views will be taken to the Minister of State. I understand the Minister of State wanted to be here tonight. She had to attend a family bereavement. She will be informed of further developments relating to the centre. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will continue to liaise with the HSE to ensure the care needs and preferences of the residents remain central to any decisions made about the mental health care and recovery centre in Bantry. The Deputies stated that they want the Minister of State to liaise with the various stakeholders. I understand that she is doing that. We value the Mental Health Commission. It makes decisions and we have to work with those decisions. The Minister of State is doing everything possible with the Deputies. I thank them for raising this important issue.