Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to our new abode. I am not sure how it will pan out but we will do our best to behave ourselves. I want to raise the issue of Roscommon Mental Health Services and the report published a few days ago. The report reveals secrecy, poor standards and, quite frankly, negativity within Roscommon Mental Health Services. It also shows that moneys were given back by Roscommon Mental Health Services to the tune of almost €18 million - €18 million that is so desperately needed. In a reply dated 18 September to a parliamentary question by my colleague, Deputy Buckley, the HSE said that no unallocated spend and no moneys were given back. They have been given back. This report is quite shocking and saddens me as a former mental health nurse. There was a significant reduction in nursing levels and there was a massive reduction in the filling of medical posts. We recognise that there is a problem there, are working on it and have solutions.

When we spoke previously about Linn Dara, I told the Minister of State that there are solutions within my organisational body, which is the PNA, Psychiatric Nurses Association. The association has reviewed the Roscommon report and has no confidence in what is to become an implementation group established to give effect to this review's recommendations. Senior management was referenced in the review. How can we have confidence in the implementation group when the report clearly states that leadership at a number of levels appears to be ineffective?The PNA is demanding that the proposed implementation group be independently chaired, not include the senior managers who were in place during the period of the review and include representatives of on-the-ground workers. I am gobsmacked that €18 million was sent back. The review focused excessively on financial matters to the detriment of the staff's working conditions and safety, as well as patient care.

We need to abide by the recommendations made. We know that there will be no comfort if the implementation group is led by those who were found in the review to be totally ineffective. Why would we put them in charge? At times it is a little like what is going on in the Garda. Why would the Minister of State continue with it when we know that it is broken? He needs to fix it. Mental health services need to be managed well and the Minister of State has been tasked with that responsibility.