John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The word "reconfigure" has been bandied about by the HSE for some years. It was bandied about during the term of the last Government and we are still hearing it. Of course, the reality of reconfiguration in County Roscommon was that we lost an emergency department.

The Minister of State has referred to investment made in mental health services and the additional staff appointed in County Roscommon. It is my understanding there has been no investment in community mental health teams in the county.

The Minister of State also referred to the quality of life of patients. The people about whom I am talking do not want to be moved into the private nursing home sector. That is the quality of life preference they are indicating. In that context, I reiterate my call for an independent assessment of the running of the mental health service in County Roscommon.