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

Wexford mental health services

Summary

Deputy Verona Murphy complains that Wexford has been bypassed in the mental health roadmap, citing gaps in CAMHS, dietetics and crisis support. Minister of State Mary Butler says mental health is a priority, notes a psychologist has been appointed to Arden House, and explains the new crisis resolution team will roll out from the Waterford area.

The programme for Government states that delivery of mental healthcare will be through the Sharing the Vision roadmap. It appears this roadmap has bypassed Wexford. We have no full child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, team in Arden House and we have no paediatric dietician, even though I pointed out on a number of occasions in the House that there is an increase in anorexia patients in County Wexford. One can imagine the disgust of the people of Wexford when the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, announced a crisis resolution team, CRT, for her constituency, which covers 110,000 people. Wexford has 150,000 people. When will the Government deliver for Wexford? So far, this Government has given Wexford a quango that is not yet set up, the maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, to be housed in a building that is not yet built. When will the Government assist the people of Wexford?

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Mary Butler Minister of State at the Department of Health Fianna Fáil

The Government is very serious about mental health issues. We have had a lot of engagement and we have the largest budget in the history of the State. As the Deputy knows, a consultant psychologist was appointed to Arden House three weeks ago. It was difficult in relation to-----

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After three years.

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-----recruitment and retention but that post has been filled. On the crisis resolution team I announced this week covering the areas of Waterford, south Kilkenny and Dungarvan, every community healthcare organisation CHO, and every area were able to put forward an application. The application was won for the Waterford area on its own merit because of the challenges it has in relation to bed capacity and the fact there was no other-----

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And the fact that the-----

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-----out-of-hours support there. We already have one crisis resolution team in Cork, another in Dublin and this will be the third. More pilot sites will be rolled out over the next year.

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