asked the Minister for Health if he will accept that it will not be possible to close St. Dympna's Hospital, Carlow, in 1986, because of the lack of alternative arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - St. Dympna's Hospital, Carlow.
33.
I do not accept that it will not be possible to close St. Dympna's Hospital, Carlow, this year. Officers of my Department are having discussions with the South-Eastern and Eastern Health Boards concerning the alternative arrangements which need to be made. Arrangements are now being made to build an acute psychiatric unit at Naas General Hospital without delay and consideration is being given to what other alternative facilities are required and can be provided in the near future.
Surely the Minister would accept that, even if he does succeed in building 30 beds in Naas, that would cater for only 30 of the 343 patients in St. Dympna's Hospital in Carlow. The Minister must accept that there are not places in the other hospitals and that, in view of the fact that the South Eastern Health Board have a £6 million deficit, it will not be possible to provide alternatives in the community. Furthermore would he agree that many of the patients in St. Dympna's Hospital are not suited to being rehabilitated into the community anway? Is the Minister saying that he will move people out of the hospital who have been there for the past 20 years?
I would prefer to approach the matter on a different basis. There are 88 mentally handicapped patients in the hospital. We must have the majority of them out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It is the first time ever we decided to do that, but it must be done and I do not think anybody would cavil with it. There are 28 short-stay patients in the hospital. Seventy of the patients are regarded as having potential for rehabilitation. I can assure the Deputy that particular care will be taken regarding those who are psycho-geriatric, very elderly and, as the Deputy knows, 109 of those patients are over 65 years of age. But the long and the short of it is that this year we can do a great deal with the 213 staff in the hospital. We can change the whole situation there. We are now setting about doing so. Of course the first step is to build up the new unit for admissions in Naas General Hospital.