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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Tipperary mental health therapy access

Summary

Deputy Jackie Cahill describes a suicidal constituent in Tipperary who needs dialectical behavioural therapy but is denied access because of her address. The Taoiseach says that appears unfair and he will speak to the Minister of State about it.

I want to raise a matter relating to mental health services in Tipperary. I have a constituent who has unfortunately tried to commit suicide on a number of occasions, most recently last Sunday. Her psychiatrist has diagnosed that the best form of treatment for her would be a course of dialectical behavioural therapy. Her consultant has recommended that therapy. I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, on his efforts in trying to get her access to such therapy but because this young lady has a Tipperary address, she is denied access. This therapy would be available to her if she had a Limerick or Cork address but she is being discriminated against because she is from Tipperary. It is bad enough that we have no psychiatric beds in our county but it is not good enough when a person is denied an essential service because of his or her address. This young lady has a life-threatening condition and I sincerely ask the Taoiseach to renew efforts to get people from my county access to this therapy. I do not lay blame at the door of the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, as he has tried to get this young girl access to this therapy for the past couple of months.

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Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I am sorry to hear about the situation the Deputy has outlined. I do not know the details, obviously, but it does not seem right, on the face of it, that somebody should be without access to a necessary treatment based on the fact that they live in Tipperary rather than Cork or Limerick. The Deputy mentioned that he has raised the matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, and I will also talk to him about it to see if something can be done.

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