Vol. 251 No. 1
asked the Minister for Health what his estimate is as to the length of time that it takes to appoint (a) psychiatrists with forensic training, (b) nurses with forensic training, (c) psychologists and (d) psychiatric social workers to the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin.
38.
asked the Minister for Health whether it has been recommended that a full-time psychiatrist be appointed to the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin; if so, when this recommendation was made; if he accepts the need for such an appointment; if so, the reason for the delay in making the appointment; and whether applications have been invited for such a post in anticipation of the hospital being taken over by the Dublin Health Authority.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together.
The length of time it takes to appoint any type of officer will vary with circumstances—in particular with the number of suitable persons available and the attraction of a particular post. As I have already indicated I expect that the transfer of the Central Mental Hospital to the Eastern Health Board will facilitate the recruitment of staff in the future.
Details of the present staffing of the Central Mental Hospital were given in a reply to the Deputy's question on 9th December last. It showed that there are three full-time psychiatrists in the hospital and I do not, therefore, understand the question in regard to a recommendation that a full-time psychiatrist should be appointed.
Would the Minister agree that a reasonable estimate would be at least one a year before all the facilities would be provided at the Central Mental Hospital? Surely it is particularly irresponsible of the Minister not to provide the particular boy to whom I have referred with remedial psychiatric care in all these circumstances?
I have already answered the Deputy in regard to that matter. It would be impossible for me to say how soon the existing staff of the Central Mental Hospital and staff from the Dublin Eastern Health Board hospitals can be changed around and integrated and transferred. The Deputy can be assured that this will be carried out as rapidly as possible and I think that the treatment and the facilities in the Central Mental Hospital will benefit.
Question No. 39.
Is it not a fair assumption that the reason why this particular boy, who is a completely harmless, peaceful boy, is being kept in Dundrum is to justify the retention of Martin Dolphin in the same set of circumstances in Dundrum?
Completely untrue.
And no other reason and it is a scandalous decision on the part of the Minister.
It is a scandalous statement by the Deputy.
It is a completely amoral decision.
No fewer than four people acquainted with mental illness have examined this patient and the idea that there could be political prejudice by all of the four or any of the four is a revolting assertion by the Deputy.
39.
asked the Minister for Health whether recommendations were made by the Commission on Mental Illness that psychiatric nurses with forensic training be appointed to the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin; if so, when the recommendations were made; and what attempts have so far been made to implement them.
The Commission on Mental Illness recommended that the administration of the Central Mental Hospital should be transferred to the local health authority and that as soon as practicable attendants should be replaced by psychiatric nurses.
Consideration was given to the implementation of the latter recommendation in advance of the transfer of the hospital. It became apparent, however, in the light of experience gained in the recruitment of nursing staff of a more senior level, that efforts to recruit qualified psychiatric nurses would not be likely to succeed while the hospital continued to be administered in isolation outside the main stream of psychiatry in Dublin.
It was decided, therefore, to concentrate on the other aspect of the commission's recommendation and I took the opportunity to include in the Health Bill, which was then in course of preparation, provision for the transfer of the administration of the hospital to the health board for the area. I intend to bring this arrangement into operation as soon as possible after the health boards assume their functions on the 1st April next. I am confident that following this change, an important feature of which will be to enable the hospital to play its part in the training of student nurses, significant improvements can be made quickly in all aspects of the services including nursing services.
Could the Minister give an answer as to why it has taken nearly five years to get to the stage of starting to do something about it and it will be delayed for at least another six years before the recommendations are implemented? What is the explanation?
Progress is being made on all fronts in regard to the health services and I do not propose that I can do everything overnight.
The Minister is easily satisfied. It is easy to sleep on another man's wound, is it not?
I much prefer to see steady progress.
It is a wonderful euphemism.
