Roscommon mental health services
Deputy Murphy raises a review criticising Roscommon mental health services, speaking of past underspends, patient distress and deaths, and asking whether funds should be returned locally. The Tánaiste says the legislation is being worked on and that recruitment difficulties often explain service failures, which the HSE must address.
In the programme for Government six key issues were laid out on improving mental health services, and we all subscribe to this. The Tánaiste is aware that recently a review of mental health services in County Roscommon was published. This review had been ongoing since 2015. It referred to a culture of blame, secrecy and negativity in Roscommon mental health services.
Comment on this
It is with regard to the programme for Government. I will not delay on this and I will not fire Scuds left, right and centre, but this is very revealing. In 2012, €4.57 million was returned to the HSE from County Roscommon. In 2013, a sum of €6.9 million was returned to the HSE and in 2014 a sum of €6.19 million was returned. This amounts to more than €17 million. The report revealed that people died in the county. There are heartbroken families. Recently, a woman sat in my clinic and cried.
Comment on this
Yes, it is in the programme for Government. On three occasions this woman spoke to psychiatrists and each time it was a different psychiatrist. She has had to tell her story over and over again.
The Taoiseach was Minister for Health for part of the time in question. Will the €17.2 million be returned to the mental health services in County Roscommon, which are in deep crisis? None of us wants more tragedy.
Comment on this
With regard to the point the Deputy makes, very often the explanation is the difficulty in recruiting staff, but that is obviously an issue on which the HSE needs to focus to ensure that where the money is available, the services will be developed and delivered in the types of circumstances described by the Deputy.