Seanad debates

Monday, 14 December 2020

Central Mental Hospital (Relocation) Bill 2020: Second Stage

 

2:00 pm

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join other Senators in welcoming the Minister of State to the House. I will never lose an opportunity like this to talk about the mental health of people who come from prisons into the Central Mental Hospital. I know something of the Central Mental Hospital as it is located in the former administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, of which I was a member for many years. It is important in this ongoing debate about the Central Mental Hospital to make clear that it is a hospital, not a prison. That is a fundamental distinction to make about this place. We know that historically there have been issues.In preparing for today's debate, I came across an informative piece by Paul Cullen from The Irish Times, which referred to major abuses in terms of the facility and detention. In one case, a person was there in excess of 100 hours. I, too, served on the visiting committee for St. Patrick's Institution, which used to be next door to Mountjoy Prison. I experienced what my colleague, Senator McDowell, spoke about such as padded cells and issues around mental health. These were children, predominantly 16-year-olds to 18-year-olds, many of whom sought to go into these cells voluntarily because of the difficulties and issues they had. Again, it was the same square box with the same eye in the wall.

The Central Mental Hospital site is 13.4 ha and is an exceptionally valuable site. It is peppered with several unique protected structures which are a challenge in any redevelopment. We know the Land Development Agency has made claim to it. There are arrangements that it will build out this facility, a plan well-established with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There is a plan for the site but the issue is the costs involved.

The Minister of State will note from various Ministers in the previous Administration - I circulated some newsletters today to some of my colleagues about this - that they announced that this money would be 100% ring-fenced for mental health services. The Minister of State has a huge commitment to mental health. I hope she will continue strongly to endorse that commitment to the money which will be transferred ultimately from the sale of this unique site. If the Land Development Agency gets its plan, it is proposed to be a mixed use site with social, affordable, rent-to-buy along with the sale of private houses. It is well documented and there is no big secret about what is being proposed. The Government, in principle, supports the idea. The site is serviced by good public transport. We need to ring-fence a substantial amount of the money around the asset of this premises for the development of a new facility in Portrane.

I followed up with the Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA, which estimates there is requirement for an additional 200 staff in this new facility and recruitment needs to start. Are we serious if we are talking about opening this facility in three months? I understand there is also an issue about the cost running into millions of euro to fit out this new facility. This facility is far from ready yet. We would be lucky and ambitious if we could get this transfer completed within the next few months. There are questions as to where that money is coming from. The PNA stated there is a requirement for more than 200 additional nurses, which Senator Clifford-Lee said is a welcome move. We need to have plans.I would like to hear the Minister of State tell us what will happen in terms of the staffing for this 120-bed forensic hospital.

There is also the issue of dignity and respect of the patients at this facility. It is important their human rights, dignity and respect are protected. There have been breaches in the past. We have learned an awful lot relating to the incarceration of people with special needs. It is an important point of which we must never lose sight.

I acknowledge the good work of the mental health tribunals which meets the patients and their advocates. Their advocates are the eyes and ears in terms of rights and respect in and around mental health issues and the challenges that come with these. It is important we acknowledge their particular good work.

What are the costs involved in the project? How can we ring-fence and stay online with the commitment for this money to go into mental health services, particularly with the Prison Service? More importantly, I would like to have more detail on a proactive recruitment drive to put in place the necessary psychiatric and support staff necessary for this new facility.

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