Mental health beds in Tipperary
Deputy McGrath highlights a lack of long-stay and mental health beds in Tipperary and says earlier promises were not delivered. The Tánaiste points to the Covid-related mental health response and a record budget exceeding €1 billion.
It was acknowledged by the former Minister of State, Mr. Jim Daly, that we have a deficit of 20 mental health beds in south Tipperary. We do not have a single long-stay bed in the county of Tipperary. People in south Tipperary have to go to Kilkenny, where the beds are full, they are not wanted or there is no room. People from north Tipperary have to travel to Ennis. The former Minister of State, Mr. Daly, promised and committed to this, not only at meetings with other Oireachtas Members and myself but in the House as well.
I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, for coming to visit south Tipperary. However, officials have the Minister of State now saying that this was never a commitment and that it was for the south-east region.
Mental health problems have increased tenfold with the onset of Covid-19. People are being turned away from our general hospital day in, day out and night in, night out. People are desperately suffering with many ending up as suicides Why has the Government stopped collating the self-harm and suicide figures since March of this year? Will the Government honour the commitment to provide long-stay mental health beds in south Tipperary? It is not an add-on extra. It is desperately needed. We need to have those beds and have those patients treated and returned to their families in good health. We had those outcomes for decades. However, since the closure of St. Michael's unit we have no place to go.
They are sent home and many of them end up in their graves.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy. Everyone in this House appreciates the terrible impact that Covid-19 has had on many people's mental health ranging from worrying about the virus to social isolation to people's loss of their jobs. That is something we specifically mention and put in the Covid plan released on Tuesday. This year, for the first time ever, the budget for mental health will exceed €1 billion, which is a considerable sum of money. From the most recent figures I have seen, although they may be old, as the Deputy said, we have seen a decrease in suicide in Ireland and a decrease in people self-harming. That is very welcome but we have a long way to go.
On the Deputy's specific question about the beds in Tipperary, I will have to ask the Minister to get back to the Deputy directly on that.