Mental health patients in custody
Pádraig Rice highlighted harrowing reports about mentally ill people being kept in prison and waiting for transfer to the Central Mental Hospital. The Taoiseach said the new Portrane facility was a major improvement, outlined increased beds and staffing, and said more capacity was coming on stream.
Last night's "RTÉ Investigates" made for harrowing viewing. We saw people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties being subjected to degrading treatment and even dying in custody. Such was the tragic case of Ivan Rosney. These vulnerable people require care and compassion, not cold prison cells. Last October, I visited Cork Prison. As a result of what I saw, I started asking questions. At the end of January, figures provided to me showed that 38 people are being held in prison waiting to be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. That is a 23% increase since November. The average waiting time for a transfer from the prison to hospital is now seven months. For somebody in the midst of a mental health crisis, that is an eternity. At the same time, 50 beds in the Central Mental Hospital are lying idle. Three years after the hospital opened, that is an utter disgrace. The HSE promised to open 18 of those beds last year but just two opened - another broken promise. On top of that, unforgivably, there are 28 vacancies in the hospital. Will the Government immediately fill these vacancies and open the overdue mental health beds?
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First, welcome all the students from UCC, both those who were here earlier and those who are here now.
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The study of politics in UCC has always been a very positive and productive endeavour, as I know myself to good effect.
The issue the Deputy raised is very serious. The Central Mental Hospital relocated to the new state-of-the-art purpose-built health facility at Portrane in November 2022. The new facility cost of €240 million, which was a demonstration of moving to a new era in respect of forensic psychiatry. It is now one of the better facilities of its kind in Europe.
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Please wait, and I will give the answer. We either want a genuine debate or Deputies just want to score points. They should make up their minds.
Some 93 patients had been transferred at that stage, and 114 beds are now open in the Central Mental Hospital. In 2025, we funded the recruitment of 41 additional staff to open a further 18 beds, two of which opened in December. The other 16 will be opened next month.