Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Mar 1988

Vol. 378 No. 9

Written Answers. - Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum.

143.

Mr. Desmond

asked the Minister for Health the number of patients at the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14 for each of the years 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 for each category as defined by section 207 of the Mental Treatment Act, Hospital Order, Order of the High Court and Criminally Insane; the age range of patients; the number and categories of staff employed; the reason for admission; the duration of stay of the patients; the capital cost of the Youth Development Centre at Dundrum; the date of completion; and the proposed use of this facility.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular form, as follows:

Table 1: Number of admissions, by category, to the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum for each of the years 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Table 2: The age range of patients who were admitted or discharged in each year and of patients remaining on 31st December of each year for the years (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1986, (d) 1987 and (e) 1988.

Table 3: The number and categories of staff employed for each of the years 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Table 4: The classification of crimes of patients detained in the Central Mental Hospital for each of the years 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Table 5: The duration of stay of patients in the Central Mental Hospital — February 1988.

The capital cost of the Youth Development Centre at Dundrum was £2.5 millions and it was completed in January 1986. The proposed use of this facility is still under consideration.

Table 1

NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS BY CATEGORY TO THE CENTRAL MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR EACH OF THE YEARS 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 AND 1988

	1980	1985	1986	1987	1988 (Jan-Feb)
	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total
Section 207	2	—	2	1	—	1	5	2	7	2	1	3	—	—	—
Court Order	1	—	1	2	—	2	2	—	2	2	—	2	—	—	—
Criminally Insane	155	15	170	158	21	179	193	30	223	9	1	10	1	—	1
Hospital Orders	173	32	205	25	4	29
Totals	158	15	173	161	21	182	200	32	232	186	34	220	26	4	30

TABLE 2 (a)

THE AGE RANGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR DISCHARGED DURING THE YEAR 1980 AND ALSO OF THOSE REMAINING ON 31 DECEMBER 1980.

Ages	Admissions	Discharges	Remaining 31 December 1980
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
From 15 to 19 years	30	1	31	29	1	30	2	—	2
20 to 24	20	5	25	21	5	26	8	—	8
25 to 34	71	7	78	75	8	83	28	4	32
35 to 44	28	2	30	25	4	29	22	4	26
45 to 54	5	—	5	5	1	6	17	1	18
55 to 64	4	—	4	6	1	7	8	2	10
65 to 74	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	3
75 to 84	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
85 years and upwards	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Unknown	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Totals	158	15	173	161	20	181	89	12	101

TABLE 2 (b)

THE AGE RANGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR DISCHARGED DURING THE YEAR 1985 AND ALSO OF THOSE REMAINING ON 31 DECEMBER 1985

Ages	Admissions	Discharges	Remaining 31 December 1980
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
From 15 to 19 years	22	2	24	20	1	21	1	—	1
20 to 24	39	5	44	34	6	40	9	—	9
25 to 34	42	10	52	34	8	42	14	4	18
35 to 44	26	4	30	22	3	25	22	2	24
45 to 54	20	—	20	19	1	20	18	3	21
55 to 64	6	—	6	6	—	6	12	3	15
65 to 74	3	—	3	3	—	3	3	—	3
75 to 84	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	3
85 years and upwards	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Unknown	3	—	3	2	—	2	4	—	4
Totals	161	21	182	140	19	159	86	12	98

TABLE 2 (c)

THE AGE RANGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR DISCHARGED DURING THE YEAR 1986 AND ALSO OF THOSE REMAINING ON 31 DECEMBER 1986

Ages	Admissions	Discharges	Remaining 31 December 1986
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
From 15 to 19 years	14	3	17	11	3	14	—	—	—
20 to 24	67	18	85	55	15	70	9	—	9
25 to 34	76	5	81	53	5	58	16	3	19
35 to 44	22	2	24	22	2	24	18	3	21
45 to 54	6	—	6	5	—	5	16	4	20
55 to 64	7	—	7	7	—	7	13	3	16
65 to 74	1	—	1	2	—	2	3	—	3
75 to 84	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	3
85 years and upwards	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Unknown	7	4	11	5	2	7	4	—	4
Totals	200	32	232	160	27	187	82	13	95

TABLE 2 (d)

THE AGE RANGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR DISCHARGED DURING THE YEAR 1987 AND ALSO OF THOSE REMAINING ON 31 DECEMBER 1987

Ages	Admissions	Discharges	Remaining 31 December 1987
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
From 15 to 19 years	3	—	3	2	—	2	1	—	1
20 to 24	47	12	59	40	7	47	5	1	6
25 to 34	75	8	83	63	11	74	13	3	16
35 to 44	25	3	28	28	2	30	18	1	19
45 to 54	17	8	25	17	7	24	16	6	22
55 to 64	9	—	9	5	1	6	15	3	18
65 to 74	—	—	—	1	—	1	2	—	2
75 to 84	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	3
85 years and upwards	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Unknown	10	3	13	12	3	15	1	—	1
Totals	186	34	220	168	31	199	74	14	88

TABLE 2 (e)

THE AGE RANGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR DISCHARGED DURING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1988

Ages	Admissions	Discharges
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
From 15 to 19 years	—	2	2	—	—	—
20 to 24	7	1	8	6	2	8
25 to 34	11	1	12	12	2	14
35 to 44	5	—	5	5	1	6
45 to 54	2	—	2	3	2	5
55 to 64	—	—	—	1	—	1
65 to 74	—	—	—	—	—	—
75 to 84	—	—	—	—	—	—
85 years and upwards	—	—	—	—	—	—
Unknown	1	—	1	2	—	2
Totals	26	4	30	29	7	36

TABLE 3

THE NUMBER AND CATEGORIES OF STAFF EMPLOYED FOR EACH OF THE YEARS 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 AND 1988

Year	A.S.O. Gr V	C.O. Gr IV	C/T Gr II	Supplies Officer	Storeman	Porter	Boilerman	Supervising Gardener	Garden Labourer	Psychologist	Social Worker	Sessional
Pharmacist	Dentist
1980	1	1	2	1	1	1	4	1	1	1	1	1	1
1985	1	1	2	1	1	1	4	1	1	1	1	1	1
1986	1	2	1	1	1	1	3	1	1	1	1	1	1
1987	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
1988	1	2	1	1	1	1	—	1	1	1	1	1	1

Year	Consultants	Psychiartists	Registrars	CNO	ACNO	Head attendants	Charge attendants	Attendants	Domestics	Catering Officer	Cook Gr I	Cook Gr II	Porters	Domestics	P/T	Total
1980	3	2	4	1	3	2	13	99	2	1	2	—	3	3	—	155
1985	3	2	4	1	2	2	13	110	2	1	2	1	3	5	1	169
1986	3	2	4	1	2	2	13	110	2	1	2	1	3	4	1	169
1987	3	2	4	1	2	2	13	100	2	1	2	1	3	4	1	155
1988	2	2	4	1	2	2	13	100	2	1	2	1	3	4	1	153

TABLE 4

THE CLASSIFICATION OF CRIMES OF PATIENTS DETAINED IN THE CENTRAL MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR EACH OF THE YEARS 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987 AND 1988

	1980	1985	1986	1987	1988 (Jan-Feb)
Classification	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total	M	F	Total
Murder and Manslaughter	32	—	32	28	—	28	26	—	26	14	—	14	5	—	5
Assault	24	2	26	27	1	28	25	3	28	25	3	28	—	—	—
Rape/Attempt/ Indecent Assault	4	—	4	12	—	12	18	—	18	27	—	27	7	—	7
Arson	1	1	2	4	—	4	—	—	—	2	—	2	—	—	—
Theft/Burglary	54	10	64	34	2	36	41	20	61	52	18	70	10	3	13
Malicious Damage	15	1	16	13	—	13	13	6	19	4	11	15	1	1	2
Indictable Offence	2	—	2	1	—	1	5	2	7	2	1	3	—	—	—
Others	26	1	27	42	18	60	72	1	73	60	1	61	3	—	3
Totals	158	15	73	161	21	182	200	32	232	186	34	220	26	4	30

Table 5: Duration of stay of patients in the Central Mental Hospital — February 1988

Length of Stay	Number of Patients
Under 1 year	21
1 to 5 years	17
6 to 10 years	10
11 to 15 years	6
16 to 20 years	7
21 to 25 years	9
Over 25 years	10
Total	80

Note: The Central Mental Hospital has approximately 200 admissions per annum and for short-term admissions the average duration of stay is 6 to 8 weeks.