Seanad debates

Thursday, 7 November 2002

Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, 2001: Statements.

 

The contributors to this debate seem to have consulted the index of the report to find out about their own health board area. The North Western Health Board, which covers counties Donegal, Sligo, Letrim and my adopted home town of Sligo, was the pioneer in this practice. Saint Columba's, a very large hospital, was one of the first major hospitals to be sold. There are now 217 patients in residential accommodation throughout the catchment area. Unlike Senator Bannon's experience in Longford, the inspector has been very complimentary about how we have accommodated those patients in Sligo. There are many of them in the small electoral ward in which I live and one could not ask for nicer neighbours. There have been times when local communities have objected to having patients living among them. This was very bad and no longer happens.

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