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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Roscommon mental health services

Summary

Pat Buckley cites the damning review of Roscommon mental health services and its findings on savings, low morale, and patient concerns. The Taoiseach says the report is troubling and should be debated in the Dáil.

The review of Roscommon mental health services published in July last made several stark findings. The key points include that there was a greater focus on achieving savings than providing safe and effective services, allegations of conspiracy were made and between 2012 and 2014, more than €17 million was handed back. The report found evidence of destructive conflict and extremely low morale at many levels of the service. To make matters worse, in its conclusion, it stated that services were characterised by an inward-looking orientation, an inadequate consideration for patients' needs, secrecy and the acceptance of poor standards. I mention only a few of the damning findings in the report. I submitted a request to discuss this matter in the Topical Issues debate today. Deputy Eugene Murphy also raised it more than a week ago. Does the Taoiseach not believe the report should be given the utmost respect and debate in the Chamber?

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Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I am aware of the report and I am deeply troubled by some of its findings. It would be entirely appropriate to have a discussion about it in the Dáil, either through a private notice question or as a Topical Issue but that is not my decision to make.

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