In 2010, the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and the HSE decided to close the 50-bed acute psychiatric unit for inpatients at St. Michael's unit, South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel. The unit catered for patients suffering from mental illness from all over County Tipperary. There was no consultation whatsoever with stakeholders about the decision. The first patients, family members, staff and the public knew about it was when a HSE official announced the closure on local radio.

Stakeholders immediately recognised that the decision to close the unit was a major blow to undermine the psychiatric services for patients and their families in Tipperary. Patients, carers, nursing staff, medical staff, general practitioners, public representatives and the public opposed the closure vehemently. Lobbying of Ministers and deputations to Ministers followed but all of it was to no avail.

The then Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch, bulldozed the closure through in 2012, sending north Tipperary inpatients to Ennis and south Tipperary inpatients to Kilkenny. The Rolls-Royce community-based service promised has turned out to be a Mini Cooper, understaffed, underfunded and under-resourced. As bad as the community service is, the inpatient service at the department of psychiatry at St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny, has turned out, as predicted, to be an absolute disaster for patients, their families and staff. It is a nightmare to be a patient, a family member or a member of staff at the department of psychiatry at St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny. The unit is constantly overcrowded. Despite the HSE knowledge of this situation, nothing has changed and nothing has been done about it. Patients are being admitted to an overcrowded and unsafe place. They are being admitted to couches and chairs and sleep on mattresses on the floor of the unit. Last Monday was yet another straw that broke the camel's back, when 51 patients were in a 44-bed unit. This included seven patients on couches, chairs and mattresses on the floor of the unit.

What is the Government going to do to solve this overcrowding problem? Is it acceptable that patients are admitted and put in chairs and left to sleep on mattresses on the floor? If it is unacceptable for general medical patients to be on trolleys in accident and emergency departments, why is it acceptable for psychiatric patients to sleep on mattresses in this unit in Kilkenny?

It is now accepted widely, even within the HSE, that the decision to close the unit at South Tipperary General Hospital was a major mistake. It is now time for the Government to approve the reopening of acute psychiatric beds in South Tipperary.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Any report of patients being treated in a manner where the standards are not up to an acceptable level is of acute concern to the Government. Certain authorities have responsibility for investigating levels of care. I know the authorities have shown no unwillingness to address failings by the HSE or others. If the Deputy has concerns, they should be brought to the attention of HIQA and other bodies that can intervene. I will ensure that the script the Deputy has provided to the Dáil is brought to their attention.

There is an overall mental health budget. The Government has been determined to try to bring mental health out of the dark corner it was in. Each year, in good years and bad, Ministers have made provision to expand mental health services. This has involved new staff being provided and new centres being provided. We are seeing a consistent rise in the number of young people and adults who are being provided with care in mental health services.

There is a change in the approach, with an increasing emphasis on treatment of persons with mental health issues in the community using the normal accident and emergency services and facilities within the community rather than the old hospital settings. That transition obviously creates difficulties. There is a danger that some of these changes can have bad effects on individuals. It is important that, as we expand these budgets, ensure that we reach more people and bring these services into a wider community setting, we do not lose or leave anyone behind.

Unfortunately, I cannot give a detailed response to the specific condition in Clonmel to which the Deputy refers. I do not have briefing on the matter, but I assure the Deputy that I will bring the Deputy's concern in this area to the attention of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. I assure the Deputy that, from the Government's point of view, mental health and the development of our mental health services are high priorities. We believe we are making significant progress, albeit needs are expanding rapidly as well. As we all know, increasingly stressful and pressurised problems are emerging, especially among young adolescent men. I will bring the issue to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Harris. I hope he can provide the Deputy with a fuller response.

The situation at the department of psychiatry at St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny is outrageous, disgraceful and unacceptable. As the Minister is aware, there has been a cluster of unexplained deaths associated with the unit. Tipperary patients are suffering delayed admissions due to the overcrowding as well as inappropriate early discharges. Travel and visiting difficulties make it almost impossible for carers and family members to support patients in the unit. The staff are at breaking point, to the extent that nurses held a lunchtime protest outside the unit recently.

The situation in Kilkenny needs to be investigated immediately. The Government needs to ensure that acute psychiatric beds for Tipperary are reopened in Tipperary at South Tipperary General Hospital. It must be done urgently.

I am informed that there has been a HIQA investigation in this area and the authority has found fault with some of the facilities. Officials have carried out a revisit. While they did find considerable improvement, there is recognition that infrastructural problems are involved. Clearly, the Government is making investment and we want to see care being provided in more of a community setting. The parallel development of these services is an important long-term structural change. Clearly, we need to ensure that as we expand the new community facilities, we do not create acute problems in some of the traditional facilities. I will ask my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Harris, who is now present, to respond to the Deputy in writing on these issues in view of the seriousness of the matter.