Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive have any psychiatric patients in accommodation outside this jurisdiction; if so the number of same; if it is short term or long term and the annual cost [35881/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As service referrals are made within each catchment area by the treating Mental Health Clinician and not at a national level the HSE does not routinely gather the information requested by the Deputy. However, following a recent Freedom of Information request the following information was collected by the HSE which provides details on the total numbers of service users being cared for abroad and the total annual cost for 2011:

Treatment outside the jurisdiction is only considered when there is no suitable facility or where specialist skills are clinically indicated but unavailable here in Ireland.