Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Senator for raising this matter which I am happy to address on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. I will begin by emphasising the Government's commitment to addressing the concerns of psychiatric nurses about their safety and security, and outlining the measures in place and the significant steps being taken in this regard. In 1998 the inspector of mental hospitals published guidelines on good practice and quality assurance in mental health services which were issued to service providers.

The guidelines recommend that: all staff should be trained in the techniques of management of violence and aggression through participation in a recognised training course; training courses should be organised on an ongoing basis in order that all staff have the opportunity to attend refresher courses periodically; all staff should be trained in the manual handling of loads and safe lifting techniques; all staff should be aware of their responsibility in relation to personal safety and the safety of patients and colleagues and in the reporting of identified hazards; if considered appropriate, staff should carry personal safety alarms which will enable a speedy response to be available to them in emergencies; locations, such as interviewing rooms or offices where staff may work in isolation, should have panic alarm systems installed.